Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy
by RB3
Summary: Tamers & Digimon World 2&3 Xover. Sequel to Blight of GAIA. Rukato hints. The war against the AoA continues, but an unseen twist has occurred that would change how the heroes view the AoA and their war.
1. Onward to the Digital World

Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 1: Onward to the Digital World   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Science is a very powerful tool if used with wisdom. If scientific knowledge was great enough, one could perform the most miraculous feats. On an Earth similar to ours where science was more advanced, scientists worked on an ambitious project known as the GAIA project. It was to be the crowning achievement in the study of artificial intelligence; an AI capable of behaving like humans. This project was literally the creation of artificial life itself.   
  
However, Murphy's Law stated that anything that could go wrong will go wrong, and the events that occurred later proved that dearly. At the centre of these events were two siblings, Esteena and Akira Violet. Esteena was one of the scientists responsible for GAIA's creation. Esteena's team created GAIA based on a fundamentally flawed, artificial brainwave pattern. These fatal flaws turned GAIA into a genocidal killing machine bent on destroying his creators; humanity itself.   
  
GAIA kept his evil intentions hidden and secretly built up a group of followers. Among the followers he had assembled were Digimon, creatures created from computer data and the dreams of the peoples of the world. These creatures were capable of great destruction, but were also capable of great friendship with their creators, especially children. The Digimon lived in the Digital World, a dimensional plane connected to humanity's world, the Real World.   
  
GAIA, now renaming himself as "Overlord GAIA," began his attack on the world with the Blight of GAIA. He had launched thousands of missiles from his headquarters on the Kernel Zone, a space station the size of a moon. The missiles contained a virulent and deadly biochemical weapon known as Blight. This initial attack had annihilated over a third of the world's population. Among these victims was Esteena's own brother, Akira Violet.   
  
Through hope and a desire for repentance, Esteena used Akira's brainwave pattern as the basis of a new GAIA AI, True GAIA. True GAIA was also known as the Avenger of Humanity, the one who would finally end the genocidal conquest of Overlord GAIA. The two GAIA AIs met and their battle spilled into the Digital World of a Real World separate from True GAIA's. True GAIA sealed Overlord GAIA in his own Kernel Zone in Chaos Tower. True GAIA separated himself into two parts to recover for his final battle with Overlord GAIA.   
  
The part that represented Akira Violet became a Guard Tamer, a hero who defended this new Digital World with the help of Digimon. Overlord GAIA had amassed a new set of followers called the Blood Knights, the evil equivalent of the Guard Tamers. As the time of the final battle grew closer, Akira and those around him began to experience visions from Akira's past. These visions guided Akira in regaining his true identity. The two halves of True GAIA merged and defeated Overlord GAIA once and for all.   
  
The Guard Tamers began a campaign against Overlord GAIA's followers in Akira's home world. After severe initial setbacks, the Guard Tamers went on the offensive. The Guard Tamers' latest battle led them to a desert in the United States of America. This desert was seemingly devoid of any life. The sun beat down on the dunes of sand below, as though turning it into glass. The air was dry and hot, and there was no water to be seen for miles around. The wind picked up and blew the grains of sand into the air.   
  
In this desert was a campsite painted over to blend in with the sandy wastes. Several heavily armoured vehicles gathered just outside this camp's sensor range. These vehicles had six wheels joined to their chassis by stalks. At the front of the vehicle were eyes that scanned the area looking for anything of note. On the top of these vehicles were dome shaped turrets sheltering powerful cannons. The beetle-like bodies of the vehicles shimmered with the colours of sand, as though a strange force was camouflaging them. These vehicles were appropriately named Digibeetles.   
  
In one of these Digibeetles was a twelve-year-old boy who was half Japanese, half Caucasian. He had red hair, and wore a pair of night vision goggles on his forehead. He was in a set of black camouflage army fatigues, and boots. He wore a black jacket with the emblem of a sword stitched on the arms and chest. This emblem was the emblem of the boy's Guard Team, the Black Sword. This boy was Commander Akira Violet, the hero who defeated Overlord GAIA. Akira was seated in front of the controls to the Digibeetle's cannon.   
  
Akira looked into the viewing screen of his instruments. "The enemy camp is dead ahead. There's some gunners manning the turrets, but I don't see any Digimon or troops out there. It looks like a trap."   
  
With Akira was an attractive twelve-year-old girl of Caucasian descent. A silver helmet covered her pink hair, and on the helmet's raised visor was a gold cross. The girl was in a uniform with a white jacket and blue camouflage pants. On the jacket's arms and chest was the emblem of a golden hawk with its wings open. This was the Gold Hawk Guard Team's emblem. This girl was Esmeralda, an Elite ranked Guard Tamer, and Akira's second in command. Esmeralda operated the Digibeetle's movement controls, and she looked at her viewing screen.   
  
"It seems strangely quiet," she replied.   
  
"Darkfryer, Lillith, Amar, you guys ready for some action?" asked Akira.   
  
On Akira and Esmeralda's screens was the image of three Digimon. The Digimon were in a world filled with various strange green characters like letters of the alphabet and numbers. The leftmost Digimon resembled a biped black lizard engulfed in flames of darkness. A pair of red eyes peered through the holes of the golden helmet on his head. On the helmet was the same sword insignia on Akira's jacket. His claws were a golden colour and looked very sharp. This Digimon was a Dark Lizamon, Darkfryer.   
  
**_   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Dark Lizamon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Champion   
  
Dark Lizamon is the dark version of the fiery Flare Lizamon. Flames of darkness surround this Digimon's body.   
  
Attacks:   
Dread Fire - Dark Lizamon can spray jets of energy rasping black fire from his claws. The flames aren't truly fire, but rather dark energy made to look and act like fire.   
  
Snipe Fang - Dark Lizamon enhances his claws with power, then slashes his foe. This empowered slash can fling a blade of energy at an enemy. _**   
  
  
  
The middle Digimon was humanoid, had black skin, and resembled an Indian god. This Digimon had two pairs of arms, and three faces. He was wearing a lot of jewellery, including golden bracelets, anklets, and the statue of a broken ring on his back. His hair was a fiery red, and his body was engulfed in flames. On his muscular chest was a gold tattoo that resembled the emblem on Esmeralda's jacket. This Digimon was an Asuramon named Amar.   
  
**_   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Asuramon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Ultimate   
  
Asuramon is based on a figure from Indian myth. This three-faced Digimon has great power over fire.   
  
Attacks:   
Hand of Asura - Asuramon can engulf his hands with fire to enhance his punches or spray the fire outwards like a flamethrower.   
  
Multiple Faces - Asuramon's faces light up, causing three different beneficial effects to occur. These effects include attacking enemies with a random elemental, giving allies minor healing, enhancing the attributes of allies, and weakening the attributes of enemies.   
  
_**   
  
The rightmost Digimon looked like small black cat with wide yellow eyes. On her front paws was a pair of purple gloves with tiger-like black stripes. The same sword pattern as Akira's jacket was stitched onto the back of her gloves. Her tail was long with purple stripes and ended in three spikes of purple fur. Her ears were pointed and each ended in a pair of spikes made of purple fur like her tail. This Digimon was a Black Gatomon who went by the name of Lillith.   
  
**_   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Black Gatomon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Champion   
  
Black Gatomon is the dark counterpart to the normal Gatomon. She is a cunning, agile fighter who can hypnotize foes with her eyes.   
  
Attacks:   
Lightning Paw - Black Gatomon can punch and claw foes so fast, that her paws look like blurs to a bystander.   
  
Cat's Eye Hypnotism - Black Gatomon's eyes glow violet, and if a foe looks into her eyes, they fall asleep.   
  
_**   
  
"I'm ready!" stated Amar.   
  
"Any time!" said Darkfryer.   
  
Lillith winked at Akira flirtatiously. "I'm going to show you my stuff, darling!"   
  
Akira blushed before giving the order to attack. The Digibeetles sped to the campsite, leaving several grooves in the sand. One of the Digibeetles took aim on a turret, and fired several bolts of yellow energy. As the shots hit the turret, sparks flew from the turret's metal, leaving dents behind. A missile swooshed from another Digibeetle and slammed into the turret. In a vibrant red conflagration, the turret fragmented into pieces. In a series of fast and hard attacks, each turret fell to the Guard Tamers' Digibeetle fire.   
  
"Cease fire!" ordered Akira. "The enemy isn't retaliating. Release our Digimon and secure the area."   
  
Several azure beams emanated from the Guard Tamers' Digibeetles, and their Digimon appeared. Darkfryer, Lillith, Amar, and Akira's Digibeetle took a defensive posture in front of the entrance of the captured camp. The other members of the squad surrounded the camp and kept a constant visual watch for any enemies attempting an ambush. The camp itself was vacant and seemed to be abandoned.   
  
Several large, sand-coloured APCs moved into the camp. They had tracked wheels and were heavily armoured and armed. The APCs had a rectangular shape and on the top of the vehicles were swivelling turrets. The APCs' front was wedge shaped and had a pair of mechanical eyes similar to that of the Digibeetles. These APCs stopped at the edge of the camp and their rear doors opened wide into ramps.   
  
Several seemingly faceless men and women in mottled khaki uniforms stormed into the camp. Each wore boots, a set of goggles over their eyes, and a helmet on their heads. They were all armed with military level weaponry ranging from assault rifles to submachine guns. With a gunshot, they forcefully opened the door to each building, beginning with the operations centre. One by one, they stormed into each building with expedient efficiency, only to find no one inside.   
  
A squad of these soldiers, Digital City marines, stormed a burning defensive tower. One of the squad's members armed his grenade launcher and fired an ice grenade into the flames. The grenade descended into the roaring inferno and exploded with a hiss. Instantly, a massive amount of ice burst out of the grenade and the air in the tower cooled down. The flames abated, leaving a charred cockpit with a set of burnt equipment, and a charred mannequin seated in the chair.   
  
"Sir, no one was manning the turrets. They were set to rotate automatically," reported a marine over the radio.   
  
The leading marine heard several similar reports from other squads. "What's going on here?"   
  
"We can't find any signs of the enemy here. It seems the enemy has abandoned this camp," reported another marine.   
  
"Keep looking, we might find clues," urged the leader.   
  
The Digital City marines continued the search until they found a metal hatch. The marines forced the hatch open and descended down the ladder to a bunker built underground. It was dark and the marines walked down the hallways using night vision goggles to see. Eventually they found a large room with an archway built onto a platform in the middle. After a thorough search they found the bunker was empty as well, and the marines returned to secure the archway.   
  
The archway was made of metal and had its circuitry exposed. There were several computers nearby and connected to the arch by wires. The marines concluded that this arch was Digiport technology, which could create gates between dimensions like the Digital World and the Real World. A computer specialist came in and hacked the computers for clues. He found logs in the computers files and proceeded to read them.   
  
"What did you find?" asked a marine.   
  
"The enemy was getting those Data Loaders from another world as we suspected," replied the specialist. "These logs show that several portals had been opened into a Digital World, and several Data Loaders had passed through. This Digital World is not connected to the world we're in."   
  
  
  
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It had been many months since the defeat of the D-Reaper by the hands of the Digimon Tamers and their allies. They returned to their former lives as normal children, not forgetting the partners they've grown to love. It was a summer day and school was out for months. A twelve-year-old boy walked in Shinjuku park of Tokyo. He wore a pair of yellow-rimmed goggles over his brown hair . He was wearing a blue T-shirt, and a grey pair of pants. His thoughts were of the promise he made to his Digimon partner to reunite one day.   
  
The boy, Takato Matsuki, sighed. "Guilmon, it looks like I won't be able to keep my promise..." he said mentally.   
  
Takato made his way to a familiar area. It was where he and his Digimon Guilmon spent much of their time. The verdant trees and grass concealed a set of cobblestone stairs leading upwards to a small bunker. This bunker was made of light grey concrete, and had metal fencing made of black iron. This bunker was Guilmon's former hideout and home, and the site of many meetings between Takato and his Tamer friends.   
  
Takato was wrapped up in nostalgia and paid this place a visit. Unknown to him, a glowing white, groundhog-like creature flew above him briefly before flying away and vanishing. As he approached the bunker, he saw a shimmering light. Inside the bunker was a nexus of energy that glowed white. At the centre of this nexus was a grid-like series of red lines. The nexus seemed to draw the world around it inwards, and distort it. Takato moved closer and soon recognized this nexus as a gateway to the Digital World.   
  
A smiled formed on his face. "Looks like I will keep my promise after all!" said Takato mentally.   
  
Takato wasted no time in calling his Tamer friends over. The first to come were two half Chinese, half Japanese siblings. The older sibling was a boy Takato's age, and had dark blue hair. He was wearing an orange vest with black clothes underneath. The younger sibling was a girl about six years old, and wore pink Chinese style clothes. Her hair was a mauve colour, and tied to the side. These two were Henry and Suzie Wong respectively.   
  
"I'm here Takato, where's the portal?" asked Henry.   
  
"It's in the hideout."   
  
"Yeah, I get to see Lopmon!" cheered Suzie with a lisp.   
  
The second group consisted of two female Tamers of Takato's age. The first wore blue jeans, and a white shirt with blue sleeves and a blue heart on the front. Her brown hair was tied backwards, and she seemed somewhat tomboyish with her tough, no nonsense aura. The second was more feminine, and had brown hair that was a darker shade. She wore a green dress with a yellow collar and sleeves. She wore a purse that had a picture of a cartoon dog on it. These two girls were Rika Nonaka and Jeri Katou.   
  
"Hi, Takato!" greeted Jeri.   
  
"Hi, Jeri!"   
  
"You'd better be right, Gogglehead..." said Rika.   
  
The next group consisted of two boys. The first had black hair in a bowl-shaped style, and wore glasses. He wore a grey T-shirt with an orange shirt underneath and brown trousers. He seemed to be a very meek person, unlike the second boy, who was more of a show-off. This second boy wore a navy blue cap, and had a spiky, upright, hairdo. In particular, he was wearing a black shirt with a yellow cross emblem on it. These two boys were Kazu Shioda, and Kenta Kitagawa.   
  
The next boy was Ryo Akiyama, the eldest of the Tamers. He was a handsome boy with brown hair and tanned skin. He was wearing a grey shirt, khaki pants, and a red bandanna around his neck. Following him was the last group, a pair of siblings who looked like twins. Both of them had brown hair, but the girl's hair was tied up into ponytails with pink ribbons. She was wearing a pink dress. The boy had a handheld, electronic device protruding from the pockets of his denim suspenders. These siblings were Ai and Mako.   
  
"Everyone, the portal is inside Guilmon's old hideout!" said Takato.   
  
Everyone took a look to see if Takato was correct. Indeed he was, and everyone was happy about seeing his or her Digimon partners again. The Digimon Tamers agreed to make preparations and meet again the next day. Though they were reluctant, the Tamers' parents knew how much this meant to their children, and let them go to their reunion. The Tamers returned to the hideout with backpacks filled with food and other useful provisions.   
  
"Where's Takato?" asked Henry.   
  
As if on cue, Takato came running down the road with a standard made out of bamboo and canvas. Along the flag were caricatures of the Tamers themselves, and next to each face was their Digimon. Takato was at the top next to the face of his partner Guilmon, a red dinosaur-like Digimon with black markings. At the bottom were the pictures of Ai and Mako next to the purple picture of the devil-like Impmon. This was what Takato dubbed the "Tamers' Flag."   
  
"Not this again..." sighed Rika.   
  
"This is our new Tamers' Flag. It now has pictures of everyone and their Digimon!" proclaimed Takato.   
  
Jeri looked on the picture of the lion wistfully. "Leomon..."   
  
The meeting was bittersweet for Jeri, as her own partner, Leomon, had fallen in battle. Ai and Mako's partner, Impmon, had received the power to Digivolve from the Sovereign Zhuqiaomon in exchange for the extermination of the Tamers. This power corrupted Beelzemon and he became mad with power and attacked the Tamers. Though Leomon tried his best to resolve the situation non-violently, Beelzemon killed Leomon with a stab to the gut.   
  
Takato looked upon Leomon's image with regret. "Maybe I shouldn't have drawn Leomon. I kept his face only because I felt he was with us in spirit. I'm sorry Jeri."   
  
"Don't be sorry Takato, I know you didn't mean it," said Jeri. "I feel Leomon is still with us even though he's gone."   
  
Jeri remembered Leomon's words, and how she finally realized the truth behind them. A person had the power to change his or her own destiny. Each destiny was an important part of the whole world. The static on her Digivice finally subsided, and Leomon's image appeared to give a final affirming nod. The image vanished and the Digivice went dead, and Leomon was at peace having finally shown Jeri the truth.   
  
She decided to change the subject. "Let's go, I want to meet Guilmon and the others!"   
  
Takato smiled. "Okay everybody, let's go to the Digital World!" 


	2. Dimensional Incursion

Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2: Dimensional Incursion   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Digital City was a hi-tech paradise, a utopia in the beautiful and wondrous Digital World. It was a small city with geometrically shaped metal buildings, from domes and pyramids to the normal rectangular shape of modern buildings. Cars travelled down the street, and both human and Digimon pedestrians commuted in an orderly manner. In the park to the south, several kids were playing a game of tag with their Digimon and having great fun.   
  
In one of the buildings, a sister was saying her farewells to her younger brother. She was a beautiful girl of half Caucasian, half Japanese descent. She was in her late teens, and had shoulder length violet hair. She was in an elegant white gown that made her look distinguished. This girl was Esteena Violet, and in her arms was her brother, Akira Violet. She broke off her hug and took a good look at her brother, a look filled with both sorrow and pride.   
  
"Goodbye, Akira, please come back soon. You're the only family I have," said Esteena.   
  
"Don't worry!" replied Akira. "I will be home before you know it!"   
  
As Akira left, he thought back to the events that led him to this point. The enemy was acquiring reinforcements from the new Digital World. If the operation succeeded, it would greatly weaken the war effort of the enemy. These new reinforcements, Digimon, had the ability to grow more powerful by absorbing, or loading, the data of fallen Digimon. These Digimon were much more dangerous than what the Guard Tamers had faced so far.   
  
Akira used his GAIA powers and in a flash of green light he materialized on the Kernel Zone. After Overlord GAIA's fall, the Kernel Zone became a Guard Tamer asset under Akira's control. It was a massive, moon-sized space station that was currently in orbit around the Digital World. It was a grey, barren world made entirely of metal and circuitry. The air was cool and scentless, and the environment was eerily quiet. The only things that broke the monotony of the landscape were the Guard Tamers' base, and two towers.   
  
The first tower, Core Tower, was at the centre of the Kernel Zone. Core Tower's name was a bit of a misnomer. It consisted of a central, green, sphere of light surrounded by four curved, metal structures at the northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. Each of the four structures was connected to metal bars that ran along the ground. A black ring floated around the tower, and green data symbols would light up on the ring occasionally. Core Tower was where Akira reunited with his True GAIA aspect to finally defeat Overlord GAIA.   
  
The second tower, Chaos Tower, was a far distance to the northeast of Core Tower. Its bottom was straight out of a Towers of Hanoi problem, resembling a series of metal disks stacked in increasing size. A series of red wires ran down into the ground from a central red sphere on top of the disks. Above this red sphere floated a metal tower that resembled a metallic grey mountain. Surrounding Chaos Tower was a floating black ring akin to the one around Core Tower. It was the former headquarters of the Blood Knights and their late master, Overlord GAIA.   
  
The Guard Tamer base was built to the southwest of Core Tower. It was well fortified from enemy attack with cannon towers placed strategically around the compound. Many of the buildings were metal domes resembling golf balls, while the rest had other geometric shapes. Near this camp were obstacle courses and firing ranges designed for training Guard Tamers. The lookouts in the tower glanced at the surrounding land periodically for possible enemy attacks.   
  
Akira approached the entrance of his home, Core Tower. "Hi, Akira!" cried his Digimon.   
  
"Hi Darkfryer, hi Lillith!"   
  
"So, we're going on a mission, darling?" asked Lillith.   
  
"Yep, we're going to take out some Data Loaders, so take these two pills."   
  
Akira produced two red pills from a small container in his pocket. Lillith and Darkfryer took the pills and swallowed them whole. These pills contained a program that altered the digital make up of a Digimon's body. It essentially made their data toxic to anyone who attempted to load their data. If any Digimon were dumb enough to try, they would get a nasty surprise and be weakened rather than strengthened. This was just one of a series of measures to protect themselves from Data Loaders.   
  
Darkfryer smirked. "The Data Loaders will be in for a surprise if they try to load my data!"   
  
"Those guys pulled a fast on us the first time, but now we're ready!" declared Lillith.   
  
"You've been practicing the Data Drain technique?" asked Akira.   
  
"Yep, now we fight those Data Loaders on our terms!" replied Lillith.   
  
The Data Drain technique was an enhancement to all abilities of a Guard Tamer Digimon. Any Data Loader struck is "drained," and lose all advantages that come from loaded data. This ability was made to counter massive data loading during army versus army confrontations. Though the effects were temporary, they lasted long enough for allied troops to kill the victim. The Guard Tamers implemented a similar enhancement was implemented for their weaponry.   
  
Esmeralda approached Akira, and the two saluted. "Commander, our forces have gathered at the base. We may leave when you are ready."   
  
"Tell them that I am moving the Kernel Zone immediately," replied Akira.   
  
"Yes sir!"   
  
A flash of green energy consumed Akira as he made his transformation into True GAIA. When the energy subsided, an unearthly, angelic figure emerged. His body was made of a brilliant blue metal, and his face was harlequin-like with gleaming golden eyes. Above his head floated a halo of golden flames, and on his back were two wings of fiery gold. In his hand was a black sword engulfed in darkness that rumbled softly.   
  
True GAIA magically dismissed his sword and promptly flew up to the top of Core Tower. True GAIA raised his hands and channelled the powers of the Kernel Zone. The green sphere began to rise until was at eye level with True GAIA. The crackle of energy ripped through the air, leaving the pungent smell of ozone in the air. Bolts of green electricity arced from the sphere into a swirling green vortex in outer space. In this vortex was the scene of a desert taken from the air.   
  
A giant blue sphere floated above the desert, and rings of green data symbols orbited this strange sphere. Several pink energy beams, or Data Streams, emanated from this sphere. Upon a closer look, one could see the twinkling of data symbols within the sphere and the light of the Data Streams. The sphere seemed to be turning around randomly, as though trying to move its various Data Streams to different parts of the Digital world. A warning klaxon blared in the Guard Tamers' base, warning everyone of impending turbulence.   
  
  
  
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In the Real World of the Digimon Tamers was a government organization known as "Hypnos." It was created to monitor the web, and intruded on private information. This organisation came to be the watchdogs that monitored Digimon, and prevented them from "Bio-Emerging," or entering the Real World. Hypnos was based in a tall building with twin towers located within the Shinjuku district of Tokyo . It was a modern government building with several metallic receivers on its side for detecting Digimon and their Bio-Emergence.   
  
The monitoring room was dark and like the interior of a dome. The walls functioned as a gigantic screen relaying any information on unusual activity in the Digital World. A pair of beautiful female technicians was seated on chairs raised by a mechanical arm in the centre of the room. They were typing away, performing scans on the Digital World for anomalies. After the D-Reaper fiasco, Digimon activity had dropped sharply and things had been very quiet.   
  
A blond haired man in a distinguished black suit flicked his cigarette lighter open and closed. He watched his operators work through his black sunglasses. This man, Mitsuo Yamaki, was the head of the Hypnos operation. The two operators wore light beige suits, and reflective goggles over their eyes. The first was the thinner of the two and had chestnut hair, whereas the second was blonde and had a full figure. They were Riley and Tally, the operators of the Hypnos systems.   
  
An alarming beep resounded in the room. "What happened?" asked Yamaki.   
  
"There's massive energy build up in the Digital World!" replied Riley.   
  
"Something is trying to enter the Digital World. Whatever it is, it's huge and I had to shut down unnecessary systems just to avoid a crash!" reported Tally.   
  
"Riley, send a message to those kids about this. Tally, get a tracer on this thing, and be sure to tell me whatever its does," ordered Yamaki.   
  
"Yes sir, tracer launched!" said Tally.   
  
"Sending message right now!" said Riley.   
  
  
  
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The Tamers were ready to go to the Digital World and cheered with fervour. Suddenly, a blue glow lit up the rear pocket of Takato's pants. The source was a handheld, electronic agenda used for keeping track of dates and appointments. It had an E-mail function for sending and receiving messages from Hypnos. This device was a gift from Yamaki for the Tamers' first voyage into the Digital World.   
  
Takato pulled out the device and checked his E-mail. "Hey, we got a message from Yamaki. He said that there's something big entering the Digital World. He wants us to check it out while we're there."   
  
"I've got a bad feeling about this," commented Henry. "We'd better find our partners first before we do any investigating."   
  
The Digimon Tamers descended into the earthen depths of Guilmon's former hideout. One by one, they entered the portal, and found themselves wandering in a glowing green cloud called a Digital Field. Various strange data symbols were floating around in the air within the cloud's body. Digimon Bio-Emerged into the Real World via similar clouds, only they were white and had no data symbols. The light was intense and very hard on the eyes, but fortunately, the Digimon Tamers were prepared and brought protective eyewear.   
  
The Digimon Tamers suddenly began a terrifying free fall to the ground! "AHHHHHHHH!"   
  
"How can anyone get used to this?" screamed Jeri over the others' screaming.   
  
The Tamers burst through several panels floating in the middle of the air. They were holographic images of circuitry that glowed yellow and green. Each time Takato passed a panel, he could feel a light resistance briefly slowing him down. It was as thought he was bursting through a thin layer of plastic wrap for food. Eventually, Takato cleared the images, and began to accelerate on a one-way trip to the ground.   
  
Below Takato was a vast, seemingly uninhabited desert that extended to infinity in all directions. The sands were an orangey brown colour, as though layers and layers of rust had piled up through millennia. Dotted across the landscape were various naturally forming rock formations. These stone towers were the only things noteworthy in an endless sea of sand. However, this desert bore a nostalgic importance to the Tamers. It was the physical layer of the Digital World, and the place they began their first journey.   
  
The Tamers hit the ground, instantly silencing their screaming, and knocking up huge clouds of sand. Their impact locations created a cluster of craters with each Tamer sprawled on the ground at the centre. Kazu was the first to recover, and began to stir. After several groans, he spit the sand out of his mouth, and began to dust himself off. His body was aching from hitting the ground so hard.   
  
He stood up and looked around. "Ohhhh... There has to be an easier way to get here."   
  
"At least we're still in one piece," groaned Rika.   
  
As the Tamers recovered and cleaned themselves off, several familiar Digimon were approaching their location. The leader of the pack was a dinosaur with red skin and sharp teeth and claws. His body was covered in various black stripes and markings, but the hazard symbol on his chest stood out from the rest. His eyes were yellow, and his ears were like a pair of red, vestigial bat wings. He had a playful demeanour and was overjoyed to see his Tamer again.   
  
"Takato!" called the dinosaur.   
  
"Guilmon!"   
  
The next two were a biped fox and a small rabbit-like dog. The fox had a yellow coat of fur and a lithe, graceful body. She wore a pair of violet gloves with open fingers, and the yin-yang symbol on them. She had a cool, calm demeanour, but was visibly glad to see her Tamer after such a long time. The dog had white fur with a slight yellow tint, and green markings on his ears, below his chin, and on his paws. He had a small horn protruding from his forehead.   
  
"Rika, it's good to see you!" greeted the fox.   
  
"Hi, Renamon!"   
  
"So Henry, did ya miss me?" asked the dog, Terriermon.   
  
"Of course, you fool! You don't know how I felt," replied Henry as he hugged Terriermon tightly.   
  
"You don't have to get all sentimental you know..." said Terriermon.   
  
The rest of the Tamers' Digimon rushed up to greet the partners. The first was a tall, biped dinosaur with black skin. He had a muscular body and that had strong humanoid characteristics. Several tubes that fed adrenaline and energy into his system were wired into his body . His head was shielded by a brown metal mask, but revealed the Digimon's toothy maw. He was Ryo's partner, Cyberdramon.   
  
The next was a rotund, rust coloured robot with cylinder-shaped limbs. He resembled an old-fashioned stove and had a hatch on the centre of his chest. This Digimon was Guardromon, Kazu's partner. The third, Marine Angemon, was a small, fairy-like Digimon with pink fur, and a bright red heart on his chest. Around his neck was a ring of gold with an unknown scripture written on its circumference. Marine Angemon was Kenta's partner.   
  
"Guardromon!" called Kazu.   
  
"Marine Angemon!" called Kenta.   
  
The fourth was a Digimon with a devil-like appearance and violet skin. He wore a red bandanna around his neck, and red gloves. On his chest was a yellow smiling face with jagged teeth. This was Impmon, the partner of the siblings Ai and Mako. The fifth was Suzie's partner, Lopmon, a female version of Terriermon. She had brown fur, and pink markings in the same style as Terriermon's. She had a set of three horns on her head arranged in a triangular formation.   
  
The last Digimon was possibly the cutest thing any girl could ever see. He was a Digimon with white fur with purple markings on his ears and feet. On his head was the symbol of a downward pointing red triangle. Three black, but smaller triangles surrounded the main red one, forming the shape of an upward pointing triangle. He had wide green eyes with a cheerful appearance. He was Calumon, the only member of the Digimon that didn't have a Tamer.   
  
"Look in the sky!" cried Renamon.   
  
The group followed Renamon's finger to a ripple high in the sky, a nexus of churning green energy. From within this energy nexus emerged a massive, moon-sized orb made of pure metal. A cluster of buildings and two towers stood out from the barren, grey surface of the object. The orb was slowly leaving the nexus, which the Tamers concluded to be some sort of dimensional gate. They continued to watch in awe as the object hovered ominously above the sandy wastes of the physical layer of the Digital World.   
  
"What is that thing?" asked Takato. "Does anyone have any idea what that thing is?"   
  
"Honestly, I don't have a clue," admitted Ryo. "This is the first time I've ever seen that. Yamaki might know something; see if you can get through to him."   
  
Lopmon was clueless as well. "I haven't seen anything like that at all, even when I was working for Zhuqiaomon."   
  
"Wait a minute." Takato fiddled with the communications device to no avail. "No, this thing's fried."   
  
"It's the Data Streams like last time," informed Henry. "We need to be somewhere shielded from them like a cave."   
  
"Renamon," began Rika.   
  
"Already ahead of you," replied Renamon.   
  
Renamon leapt off into the distance, before returning a few minutes later. The Tamers followed Renamon's lead to an opening in a mountain. The cave itself was dark and clammy, and extended deep under the mountain. The stalactites resembled icicles of stone, and dripped water with a light pitter-patter. Eventually, they reached a small underground lake, and the communications device activated. Takato sent a message confirming that the Tamers had reached the Digital World safely.   
  
"Good," replied the message. "Did you get a look at the object?"   
  
"Yes, it looks like a giant ball of metal. I can make out buildings and towers on it," wrote Takato. "Is this helpful in any way?"   
  
"No, we still don't know what it is. You should investigate too, but be careful, it could be dangerous. Call me later if you find anything new."   
  
"Well guys, looks like we going to find out what that thing is."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The Kernel Zone had entered the Digital World successfully. The warning klaxon fell silent, and the Guard Tamers relaxed their guard. Akira and his Digimon were now seated in a sterile briefing room with many other Guard Tamers and Digimon. At the front was a massive screen with a podium off to the side. Near each seat was a small port for connecting electronic devices to the main briefing server.   
  
Akira pulled out a handheld device much like an electronic agenda. He connected his device, a Digibeetle Browser, to the port. He turned it on and the Black Sword emblem appeared briefly on-screen. He soon received a message confirming his connection to the main briefing server. Moments later, a tanned man with a violet beard and violet hair took centre stage. His uniform consisted of a one-piece black jacket with a cowl that extended sideways, and black pants. The man was Commander Chris Conner, and he called for silence.   
  
"Okay troops, listen up," began Conner. "Thanks to True GAIA, we have entered the new Digital World. Unlike our world, this one is actually several interconnected worlds. I think 'Digital Multiverse' is a better name for this world."   
  
Chris Conner continued his briefing by explaining the situation. This Digital World consisted of six planes arranged in a spiral. The Kernel Zone was hovering above the bottommost plane, which was a vast, almost uninhabited desert. The other five planes were made up of differing environments suited for the native Digimon. Due to the sheer size of this Digital World, finding the enemy would be quite difficult.   
  
"We don't have enough forces to cover every single world with enough speed. We will be sending people to gather information and request aid from the leaders of this Digital World," informed Conner.   
  
Chris Conner proceeded to warn the assembly of the dangers of this world. The first and most obvious were Data Loaders. These Digimon might decide to snack on the data of fallen Guard Tamer Digimon, so Conner reminded the Digimon to take their pills. The second were beams of pink energy that originated from the orb of circuitry in the sky, and ran along the ground. Intelligence had not determined what those beams were yet, thus Conner urged caution.   
  
"Avoid those beams at all costs!" stressed Conner. "Use the Autopilot function to escape if you must!"   
  
The enemy base was sure to hidden, thus help was needed to find it. He recommended that the next step was to question local Digimon for clues. He suggested that the Digimon do the talking whenever possible. Conner proceeded to assign troops to search for, and to question local Digimon for information. Akira and Esmeralda were assigned to Sector Two of the desert, or the east-northeast. After the briefing, the two Guard Tamers boarded their Digibeetle and began their search.   
  
Akira and Esmeralda's Digibeetle sped along, its motor whirring as it traversed the endless sandy wastes. Its tires kicked up sand from the ground, blowing up a cloud in its wake. During the entire voyage, the Guard Tamers kept a sharp eye on their radar and instruments to see if there was anything of note. At first, there was nothing of note, except for the occasional rock formation. Eventually, the scanners picked up several Digimon gathered in one place. This gathering turned out to be a village of Digimon.   
  
The village was fairly crude and built directly on the sand. The homes were shaped like domes and made of a hodgepodge of metal machinery lodged into brown stone. The village looked very unkempt, which suggested that the natives were poor. The inhabitants were biped Digimon resembling cute teddy bears made of mud. They almost looked like living gingerbread cookies. There were both children and adult villagers.   
  
**_   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Mud Frigimon   
Type: Data   
Level: Champion   
  
These Digimon were created from discarded data. They are golems made entirely out of mud.   
  
Attacks:   
Heavy Punch - Mud Frigimon can make their fists as hard as stone and deliver a powerful haymaker.   
  
Mud Ball - Mud Frigimon can create and sling balls of pure mud.   
  
_**   
  
Akira beamed his group's Digimon outside of the Digibeetle's memory banks. "Okay, you three take over from here."   
  
"Right!" answered Darkfryer, Lillith, and Amar.   
  
"See if you can find the chief or elder of this village," suggested Esmeralda.   
  
The three Digimon asked around until some kind villagers led them to the house of the elder. The interior of his house was as unkempt as the exterior. A hammock was set off to the side for use as a bed. The elder's wife was busy in the kitchen, preparing a meal for her family. Her cooking filled the room with the smell of baking dirt and mud. The three Digimon took a seat around a round wooden table.   
  
The elder wasn't a Mud Frigimon like most of the other villagers. He was a bit taller, and had a different bear-like shape. His body was made entirely of an unknown green mineral. His eyes were yellow, but showed the wisdom gained from a long lifetime. The elder had a kindly aura, but wasn't sure what to make of the presence of the three Guard Tamer Digimon. The elder, a Meteormon, took a seat in front of the three.   
  
**_   
  
====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Meteormon   
Type: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
  
These Digimon are golems made of the minerals of meteors from outer space. They are similar to their smaller brethren, Gotsumon, but are green instead of grey.   
  
Attacks:   
Cosmo Flash- Meteormon radiates a blinding burst of harmful green energy.   
  
Falling Star - True to their name, Meteormon can call meteors from outer space to strike a foe.   
  
_**   
  
"Hello, I heard you were asking around for me. What do you need?" asked Meteormon.   
  
"We're members of a group called the Guard Tamers. I'm Darkfryer, this is Lillith, and he is Amar," introduced Darkfryer. "We'd like your cooperation for a mission we're undertaking."   
  
"We're looking for some humans who have been taking Digimon from this world. They've been sending these Digimon to make war on our world and we're here to stop them," explained Lillith.   
  
"Have you seen anything suspicious or heard anything that can help us?" asked Amar. "It would help our cause greatly."   
  
"Not really..." admitted Meteormon. "Actually, a long time ago, some humans from the Real World came to our village. I thought the Real World was just a myth, but now, I really do believe it exists."   
  
"Why were they here?" asked Amar.   
  
"It seems they got lost looking for one of their friends. At the time, an evil motorcycle was terrorizing our people. Those kids did our village a great favour by stopping it. We owe them a great debt for their kindness. Are they the ones you're looking for?"   
  
"Hmmm..." pondered Darkfryer. "We're not sure. Can you tell us anything about them?"   
  
Meteormon thought back to that event. "Those kids were travelling with a band of Digimon. One of them looked like a lion-man, another was a red dinosaur, and another was this dog-rabbit with green markings."   
  
"What about the kids?" asked Lillith.   
  
"One of them was a girl, and she had this green dress." Meteormon described the other children before pausing in thought. "Oh, they also had these strange handheld devices they used for slashing cards. Does this help?"   
  
"A bit," said Darkfryer. "Do you know of anyone else who can help us?"   
  
"Well, we were once called to join an army to fight an enemy of the Digital World. I heard from other Digimon that the leaders of this army were called the Digimon Sovereigns. Maybe you should try them?" suggested Meteormon.   
  
"Alright, thank you for your time. Goodbye, elder," said Darkfryer.   
  
"Goodbye," said Meteormon, as the three left.   
  
The three returned to the Digibeetle and repeated the information to their partners. "Sounds like Digidestined," suggested Esmeralda.   
  
"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" replied Darkfryer.   
  
"It seems this world has Guardians of its own. I wonder if the Sovereigns are like them?" pondered Amar.   
  
"Well, we'll think about this later. I'm going to open a channel to base, so tell them exactly what you told us. Esmeralda, get the Digibeetle going, we've got a few more places to search," ordered Akira.   
  
"Affirmative!" replied Esmeralda.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The Tamers travelled along the desert until they found a pair of tracks on the sand. "Tracks..." mumbled Renamon.   
  
"What could have made them?" asked Takato.   
  
Guilmon began sniffing the air. "I smell oil and metal. It was here not long ago."   
  
"A car?" suggested Henry.   
  
"Well, what else could it be?" asked Terriermon. "Look at the tracks!"   
  
"I've never seen anything like a car in the Digital World," informed Ryo.   
  
Henry looked carefully at the tracks. "The tracks aren't quite right for a car."   
  
"If it's not a car, then what is it?" asked Rika. "Why don't we follow the tracks instead of standing here all day thinking about it?"   
  
The group followed the tracks eastwards, which ended some distance to the west of the Mud Frigimon village. The tracks turned northwards at the end, but a small distance away was a trio of Digimon tracks. One looked like the footprints of a large, barefoot human. The second and third were more bestial, with one set belonging to a beast, and the other to a reptile. From the appearance of the tracks, the three Digimon had entered the village, and then left the way they came.   
  
Jeri looked at the village. "We've been here before, remember Takato?"   
  
Takato reminisced about his adventures in the village. "Yeah, that crazy bike."   
  
Guilmon sniffed the air again. "I smell Digimon!"   
  
"Well, duh!" said Terriermon.   
  
"No, I mean different Digimon," corrected Guilmon.   
  
Takato, Jeri, Henry, Guilmon, and Terriermon decided to speak with the village elder. To their surprise, the elder had become a young-looking Meteormon. Calumon's Digivolution powers were truly amazing to have made such an old Digimon young again. The elder didn't recognize them at first, but eventually, the Tamers jogged his memory and he was glad to see them. The group sat around a table and the elder's wife gave them several glasses of water.   
  
"I'm glad to see you guys! That's odd, where's the lion-man?" asked the elder.   
  
"He died in battle with an enemy," replied Jeri solemnly.   
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," consoled the elder. "We owe him so much for his help with the motorcycle. The Digital World needs more noble souls like him."   
  
"Meteormon, have you seen anyone come by recently?" asked Takato.   
  
"Now that you mention it, yeah. Three Digimon came here several minutes ago asking if we've seen anything suspicious around here," replied Meteormon.   
  
"What did they look like?" asked Henry.   
  
The elder described the appearance of each of the three. "So they were a small black cat, a flaming black lizard, and a flaming man with black skin?" asked Jeri.   
  
The elder nodded. "What did you mean by them asking about 'anything suspicious?'" asked Henry.   
  
"They said they were from this group called the 'Guard Tamers.' Do you know them? They came here to stop some humans who have been recruiting Digimon for some war."   
  
"Not really," admitted Takato. "Did they say where they were going?"   
  
"No, but they did leave town by going west," replied the elder   
  
Takato pondered the information. "Thanks a lot, you've been a big help." 


	3. Arcadian Affairs

AnT:   
Hmmm, my copy seems to work fine in that situation. It might be just your copy or maybe your PS is too old? My story is only loosely based on the game, but I'm sure you'll recognize some of the characters.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 3: Arcadian Affairs   
  
  
  
  
  
Akira's Digibeetle Browser beeped and he punched in a few buttons. A screen came up, giving him his new orders for the day. Attached to the orders was a report from a fellow Guard Tamer, Commander Brian Wiseman, which Akira read. The report stated that Wiseman had been accidentally sucked into one of the pink energy streams in the desert, which turned out to be a Data Stream. Wiseman ended up in a strange new location in the Digital World, which was dubbed "Arcadia" for being a tranquil, beautiful forest.   
  
Commander Wiseman refused to explore the place on his own, wanting to avoid being isolated should he encounter enemies. He recorded the co-ordinates of his location, and then ran a few scans of the area before returning to the Kernel Zone base. Apparently, the area had an abundant supply of Digital Tumbleweeds, which looked like basketball-sized spheres of pink light. Wiseman's scans determined that these tumbleweeds were a great source of data. Akira's orders were to explore the area, clear out any hostiles if any, and then report back.   
  
Akira called for the members of his squad, and it wasn't long before they were teleported into the middle of a beautiful, verdant forest. The squad searched around, finding nothing but vegetation and Digital Tumbleweeds lying on the ground. Akira and company soon encountered a strange, flying, groundhog-like creature enveloped by a white glow. It had odd violet markings across its chest, and was giggling, as though it was a frolicking child of fairy.   
  
"What is that thing?" wondered Akira, as he activated the Digimon Analyzer. It gave no information on the creature. "It doesn't register on our Digimon Analyzer."   
  
"It's probably not a Digimon then," suggested Esmeralda.   
  
The creatures immediately flew away, but not before being recorded by the Digibeetle's camera. Akira wrote a message in his Browser to remind himself to submit the footage. Intelligence will determine what that creature was. The squad continued on until they came upon a lake in the middle of the forest. Its waters were a beautiful, glimmering azure blue. On the other side, a group of small, frog-like Digimon were singing on a rock. Each had a small brass horn entwined around its neck. They were led by a conductor carrying a wooden cane.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Gekomon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Champion   
Element: Water   
  
Gekomon are timid by nature, and rarely attack others. They prefer to live a peaceful life, singing the days away.   
  
Attacks:   
Symphony Crusher - Gekomon can use their off key singing as a dangerous sonic weapon. The sound waves are visible as rainbow coloured musical symbols.   
  
Tongue Attack - Gekomon can lash their tongues like a whip, and grab distant objects. _**   
  
"Gekomon," mumbled Akira. "Well, maybe we should ask them about those groundhog creatures. Okay Digimon, your turn!"   
  
Darkfryer, Lillith, and Amar materialized by the lake in nimbuses of blue light, and began a conversation with the conductor. "Hi!" began Lillith.   
  
Lillith kept calling to the conductor, but he seemed too preoccupied by the singing of the Gekomon to hear her. "Let me try," offered Darkfryer, approaching the conductor's side. "HEY YOU!"   
  
The conductor reflexively closed his ears, and felt as though his ear drums were going to burst. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SO LOUD!"   
  
"Sorry, but I have some important things to discuss with you," insisted Darkfryer.   
  
"Okay," agreed the conductor. "Guys, take a break, I'm going to talk with these Digimon for awhile." The Gekomon choir left to preoccupy themselves. "What do you want?"   
  
"We saw some strange creatures that looked flying groundhogs. Do you know what they are?" asked Lillith.   
  
"You live here and don't know about the Digignomes?" asked the conductor incredulously.   
  
"So that's what they're called..." mumbled Akira over the radio.   
  
"Not really. We're not actually from this place. We're Digimon from another world and belong to a group called the Guard Tamers. We're here to capture some humans who've been bringing Digimon over to our world as soldiers," stated Amar professionally.   
  
"Have you seen anything suspicious around here lately?" asked Darkfryer.   
  
"Other than you three, not really," replied the conductor.   
  
"Is there anything more you can tell us about the Digignomes?"   
  
"They're harmless so they're not going to attack you or anything. That's all I know."   
  
Lillith discussed this with the Guard Tamers and other Digimon. "Okay thanks, you've helped us a bit."   
  
The conductor took his leave, and called the choir back to sing. Just as the Guard Tamer Digimon approached their Digibeetle, something fell into the lake! It splashed water everywhere, drenching the Gekomon, and the Guard Tamer Digimon. When everyone calmed down, they determined the identity of the fallen object; a Digimon. The fallen Digimon had a facial expression filled with malice and greed as it looked upon the Gekomon.   
  
The Gekomon were terrified of the hostile Digimon. It was a massive dinosaur with dark blue skin and a white underbelly. Its left hand consisted of the skull of a dinosaur-like creature. Its right hand was the cybernetic, metallic head of a serpentine creature of some kind. The Digimon moved out of the water in pursuit of the fleeing Gekomon. The squad couldn't just stand by and let this happen, and thus chose to intervene.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Deltamon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Champion   
Element: Darkness   
  
Deltamon is one of the largest and most powerful Champion level Digimon. Its dark power makes it run amok, and destroy whatever gets in its way.   
  
Attacks:   
Triplex Force - Deltamon's three heads light up and shoot balls of ethereal green flame.   
  
Serpent Bite - Deltamon's serpentine head is retractable, and can shoot out to snatch distant targets. _**   
  
"We are Guard Tamers! Leave them alone or we will open fire!" cried Akira.   
  
In an act of great disrespect and defiance, Deltamon blasted one of the Gekomon with a trio of green fireballs. Deltamon greedily loaded his victim's data, and let out a fiendish chuckle. Deltamon spotted a terrified Gekomon to his left, and promptly gave chase. Akira had seen enough, and took action.   
  
He released the Digimon. "That's it! Take this bastard down! I'll give you cover fire, you guys get your auras ready and close in!"   
  
"Yes sir!" replied the Digimon.   
  
"Esmeralda, prepare to evade the enemy's return fire!"   
  
"Yes sir!" she replied.   
  
Certain Guard Tamer Digimon were able to learn and use abilities beyond that of the typical Digimon. These Digimon are always the partners of a Guard Tamer, and tend to be related to the Digimon's Element. Auras gave a slight bonus to the Digimon that generated the aura, and possibly nearby allies. Darkfryer activated his aura, the Temporal Aura, and everyone could feel their speed and reaction time improve. Lillith turned on her Vampiric Aura, enabling her allies to absorb small quantities of energy with each physical attack. Now it was time to move in.   
  
Amar's flames burned with heightened intensity in preparation for battle. The Digibeetle cannon's banged as several rounds of energy pelted Deltamon's back, diverting his attention to the Guard Tamers. The three Digimon moved in, surrounding Deltamon from the front and sides. Amar approached from directly in front, and initiated the attack with a fiery Hand of Asura punch. Deltamon blocked, but recoiled in pain once Amar's flames burned Deltamon's skull head. In addition, Deltamon could feel his energy being drained and absorbed by Amar.   
  
"Dread Fire!" called Darkfryer, as a wave of black flames swooshed from his front claws.   
  
Deltamon, being a Digimon of the Darkness Element, suffered only minor wounds from the attack. Darkfryer followed up with a Snipe Fang, slashing Deltamon in the ribs with his glowing white claw. Deltamon stumbled briefly, before swatting Darkfryer onto his right side. Akira shouted words of encouragement, and Darkfryer hopped back onto his feet. Lillith snuck up and bounced up Deltamon's body to sock him hard in the chin with a Lightning Paw. As she jumped off, Lillith scored a hit on the cheek with a beam of dark energy from her eyes.   
  
Deltamon was enraged. "Triplex Force!" The Composition Dinosaur's fireball clipped Lillith in midair, sending her crashing down to the ground with a thud.   
  
"This guy's a tough one!" commented Akira.   
  
"He's too big and powerful! We need to get him off his feet!" noted Esmeralda. "Everybody, aim for his legs!"   
  
The Digimon complied with Darkfryer leading the attack. He slashed Deltamon's left knee with his Snipe Fang attack, making his foe stumble backwards. Before Darkfryer could react, Deltamon slammed his skull hand into Darkfryer's chest, and flung him into the lake. Lillith charged, driving Deltamon onto one knee with a Lightning Paw. Amar grabbed the Composition Dinosaur's right leg and attempted to yank them from under Deltamon.   
  
"Lillith, I've got him! Aim for the back of his head!" directed Amar.   
  
Lillith bounced up to the back of Deltamon's head. "Lightning Paw!" After that haymaker, Amar pulled Deltamon's leg from under him, and sent him flat onto his face.   
  
"Okay guys, let's finish him off!" called Akira.   
  
"Hand of Asura!" Jets of flames erupted from each of Amar's hands and enveloped his victim.   
  
Darkfryer, now of out the lake, took a firing position. "Dread Fire!" The flames of Darkness engulfed Deltamon, rasping away his life energy.   
  
Lillith and the Digibeetle pelted Deltamon's prone body with energy shots. The Composition Dinosaur's body soon broke down, leaving nothing but black spheres of data floating in the air. Within moments, the spheres vanished into thin air. The Guard Tamers celebrated their victory, as the Digimon called the Gekomon back to the lake. Each one had an expression of relief on his or her face as they left hiding.   
  
The conductor approached. "Thank you! If you weren't here, we'd all be goners!"   
  
"No problem!" said Lillith. "We must go to continue our mission now, take care!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Unknown to the Guard Tamers, a fox-like Digimon watched the entire incident from behind the foliage of a tree. Using her heightened senses, Renamon was able to hear the words being spoken from her location in the leaves. Her Tamer and her friends would be very interested in hearing this near information. Renamon promptly leapt off the tree, and vanished into thin air, to reappear at a location some distance away. Rika and each of the other Tamers and Digimon were gathered there, eagerly awaiting Renamon's news.   
  
"What did you see?" asked Rika.   
  
Renamon began her report. "I saw those Digimon we were following. One of them is an Asuramon, another is a Black Gatomon, and the last is a Dark Lizamon. These Digimon belong to group called the 'Guard Tamers.'"   
  
"Sounds like they're Tamers like us!" noted Kenta.   
  
"Imagine that! I always thought we were the only Tamers!" commented Kazu. "Yep, I guess it's because we're all so special..." Kazu leaned back on a tree in smug satisfaction.   
  
"I wonder who they are?" pondered Henry as he stroked his chin. "Could they be Tamers from somewhere else in Japan?"   
  
"Maybe they're Tamers from another country, like those Digidestined from the World Tour on the TV show!" suggested Takato.   
  
"That could explain it," said Henry. "Digimon isn't just in Japan; kids in other countries watch the TV show and play the card game too. Did you see anything else, Renamon?"   
  
"Their Tamers were riding inside of a tank. They never walked outside, so I couldn't see their faces," replied Renamon. "A Deltamon attacked the Gekomon we helped. They stopped him before he could do too much harm."   
  
Terriermon chuckled. "Looks like they're taking a game of 'army' too seriously."   
  
"They seem like nice people to me," said Jeri.   
  
"Yeah, but that could be just an act," scolded Rika.   
  
"Rika's right," agreed Renamon. "They helped the Gekomon, but that doesn't mean we should trust them."   
  
"What do we do now?" asked Guilmon.   
  
"I guess we could try talking to them," suggested Takato.   
  
"That sounds dangerous," said Jeri. "What if they attack us?"   
  
"Let me talk to them," offered Renamon. "I'll pose as a random Digimon. If they're enemies, I can run away if I have to."   
  
Everybody agreed with the plan, though Rika was somewhat hesitant at first. The main problem now was how to find the Guard Tamers. As luck would have it, the Tamers discovered a construction site in Arcadia a few days later. The Tamers were walking in the woods at the time, when they came upon the sound of trees being cut down. They investigated, spotting several human and Digimon lumberjacks clearing trees. Their work was quite organized, and since several humans were there, it was obvious they were Guard Tamers.   
  
"Looks like we know how to find a Guard Tamer now," said Rika.   
  
Henry remarked the workers' organization and their uniforms. "They really are an army..."   
  
"Let's wait here until someone leaves. Someone has to leave to go on patrol," promised Renamon.   
  
"You are surrounded! Come out with your hands up!" called an unknown voice over a microphone. Everyone looked around to find several powerful Digimon, tanks, and armed humans blocking their escape routes.   
  
"They found us! There's nowhere to run!" exclaimed Takato.   
  
"This isn't good," commented Impmon.   
  
Jeri began to panic. "What do we do?"   
  
"Surrender," recommended Henry. "They have several Digimon and we're in the middle of their crossfire. If we run to the base, they'll get us for sure!"   
  
Rika refused to give up. "There must be a way out!"   
  
Renamon disagreed. "If we fight, there's a chance the Tamers that can't Biomerge might get hit. Those Digimon are Ultimates and Megas. Even if we Biomerge, we can't possibly take on this many at a time."   
  
Rika let out a frustrated growl. "I feel so powerless!"   
  
"Better to feel powerless than to be dead..." replied Renamon bluntly.   
  
The Tamers and their Digimon decided discretion was the better part of valour, and so raised their hands in surrender. The soldiers promptly handcuffed and blindfolded the Tamers. Other soldiers held out several small blue cubes. In a ray of blue light, the cubes trapped the Tamers' Digimon within, and one could see them struggling from within to break out. The ride was short and they were eventually brought to a brig somewhere unknown. The soldiers removed the Tamers' blindfolds and locked them into their cells.   
  
The cells had drab, grey, metal walls that seemed to be cleaned on a regular basis. There were two beds in each cell, and each bed came with a pillow and white sheets. The entrance of the cells were sealed by ethereal walls of blue energy. Outside was a hallway where the occasional guard would wander by on patrol. Rika and Jeri were confined together in the same cell. They reached for their Digivices and cards, only to realize they had been confiscated by their captors. Rika touched the wall of energy, and it felt as hard any ordinary wall.   
  
"If I get out, you're all going to get it you here me?" cried Rika, as she banged on the energy wall. Nobody answered and she eventually gave up.   
  
"What do we do now, Rika?" asked Jeri. "I don't want to be kept in jail forever..."   
  
Hours went by, but it seemed like an eternity. Every time an hour passed, Rika could see the other Tamers being brought out of the cell, only to be returned. Whenever such an event happened, the Tamer seemed to be under a hallucinatory euphoria. The guards drew closer and closer to Rika's cell, until it was Rika's turn. Rika was tied onto a chair with restraints, and promptly given an injection. She could feel an overwhelming sensation of pleasure overtaking her body. All of her inhibitions seemed to melt away like butter.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
An hour later, Rika was returned to her cell. "Are you alright, Rika?" asked Jeri.   
  
Rika had a huge, happy grin on her face that was very inappropriate for the situation they were in. "Never better!"   
  
"What did they do to you?"   
  
"My new friends?" asked Rika. "We had a nice long talk. They're such nice people!"   
  
Jeri came to the conclusion that Rika had been drugged and was in a highly suggestible state. Rika was also hallucinating, and seeing things that weren't really there. The guards dumped Rika on her bed, and closed the cell back up so no one could escape. Rika put her around Jeri's shoulders affectionately, and began nuzzling her affectionately. Jeri was quite uncomfortable with Rika's act of "affection."   
  
"Uh Rika, what're you doing?" asked Jeri shyly.   
  
Rika giggled girlishly. "Now Takato! How's that anyway to treat your 'dream girl?'"   
  
Jeri was surprised. "You like Takato?"   
  
"Of course! I think he's a great guy!" Rika began to squeeze more tightly.   
  
As luck would have it, the guards came back. For once, Jeri was glad to see the guard. Anything was better than getting Rika's "affection." Fortunately, no one saw what was happening except for the guards. Jeri made a mental note to keep everything a secret. Another hour went by, and the guards brought her back to the brig. As she was brought back, she passed by the cell holding Takato and Henry. The two Tamers looked at her with concern.   
  
"Jeri, are you ok?" called Takato. "What did they do to you?"   
  
"I'm just peachy!" replied Jeri happily. "I had a nice talk with my friends here. They're really nice once you get to know them!"   
  
"They put truth serum in all of us. She should be fine after a few minutes," said Henry.   
  
"Wow, Takato! That's so cool! I never knew you could change your skin colour!" chirped Jeri. Takato gave Jeri strange looks.   
  
The guards returned Jeri to her cell, and after several minutes, a guard came in bearing good news. "Okay guys, the higher ups want to have a word with you all. Be courteous when talking to them or there will be big trouble..."   
  
Each of the Tamers were freed and boarded a large APC painted with sandy camouflage. It wasn't long before the vehicle started, and they were brought to an unknown location. Once the Tamers disembarked, they found themselves outside a massive structure made of stone. It seemed to be a temple of some kind and had a jagged shape. It resembled Zhuqiaomon's temple before its destruction, but was cool blue in colour instead of red. There were a pair of tanks parked outside.   
  
The Tamers were led into an audience room with a massive sapphire fountain at the centre. The head of a gigantic dragon protruded from the water. Its body was made of water, and its head was covered by a deep blue helmet with holes for four eyes, and a pattern resembling lightning. The helmet's horn resembled a metal lightning bolt. The dragon's long, grey moustache drooped downwards until it touched the ground. Its front claws were surrounded by a trio of blue orbs each. The dragon was all too familiar to the Tamers, as he was Azulongmon, Sovereign of the East Sector.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Azulongmon   
Type: Data   
Level: Mega   
Element: Water/Lightning   
  
Attacks:   
Aurora Force - Azulongmon can form a ring with his serpentine body, and create a flash of destructive azure energy.   
  
Lightning Whip - Azulongmon can control lightning, using it like a whip or to electrocute victims. _**   
  
To Azulongmon's right was a pair of kids no older than the Tamers themselves. The boy was half Japanese and half Caucasian. He looked somewhat athletic in his blazer and shorts, and his eyes indicated someone who had seen a lot in his lifetime. He seemed slightly muscular and wore goggles just like Takato did. The girl was Caucasian, and looked like a typical American girl. She looked lovely in a white summer dress. Like the boy, her eyes showed the fire of having experienced the dangers and wonders of the world.   
  
To Azulongmon's left was a middle aged man with violet hair and beard. His black uniform indicated his militaristic background. He seemed quite distinguished and commanding in his uniform. He had a tanned complexion and a thoughtful expression on his face. He looked up from a handheld device and ordered the guards to release the Tamers' handcuffs and free their Digimon from the cubes. This man, Commander Chris Conner, ordered them to gather around himself and Azulongmon.   
  
"Tamers, it was we Sovereign Digimon who had you released," said Azulongmon. "We have a mission we need for you to accomplish. This man will tell you the details."   
  
The man saluted the Tamers. "I am Commander Chris Conner of the Black Sword Guard Team. To start off, I apologize for what we put you through, but we had to make sure you were not spies."   
  
Conner proceeded to tell the Tamers about their contact with the Sovereigns. The Guard Tamers promised the release of the Tamers and their Digimon in exchange for the Sovereigns' cooperation. Both sides agreed to the deal happily, however, they suspected possible enemy activity in the Real World as well. The Guard Tamers decided that entering the Real World would attract too much attention.   
  
"Thus, we want you, the Tamers, to monitor the Real World for any activity by these enemies," stated Azulongmon.   
  
"Who are these 'enemies?'" asked Henry.   
  
"They are the former followers of a dead AI named Overlord GAIA," replied Conner. "GAIA was not originally from the world we came from. He was created in another world, the same world we are now trying to liberate. In short, we are from another Digital World, and are here to save a different Real World."   
  
"What are they doing and why here?"   
  
"They're getting Digimon from this world to fill out their army. It's certain they want Data Loaders so they absorb data to become stronger. By the way, 'Data Loader' is how we refer to Digimon that can load data."   
  
"Don't worry about the Digital World, for we Sovereigns will cover that end with the Guard Tamers," continued Azulongmon. "To help you, these two Guard Tamers and their Digimon will come with you back to the Real World."   
  
"Tamers, meet Commander Akira Violet, and Elite Tamer Esmeralda Rose," introduced Conner.   
  
Akira waved to the Tamers. "Hi everybody!"   
  
"Hi!" greeted Esmeralda.   
  
"Akira will be in charge of this mission," said Conner. "We also know about your contact, Yamaki. See if you can enlist his help."   
  
"How will we get back home?" asked Jeri.   
  
"We've got that covered, don't worry," assured Conner.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Everyone returned to the Kernel Zone to prepare for the trip back to the Real World. The Tamers received their confiscated Digivices and cards back from the Guard Tamers. A few of the Digimon Tamers were talking with some random Guard Tamers about any topic that came to mind. Others were looking around the Kernel Zone, in awe of the strange, barren world which extended as far as the eye could see. Others were talking to their allies for the mission, Akira and Esmeralda.   
  
Ryo was complementing Esmeralda on how well she looked in her dress. "That's a nice dress! You look gorgeous!"   
  
"Thank you!" replied a flattered Esmeralda.   
  
In another group, Jeri was looking at the Kernel Zone landscape in bewilderment. "What is this place?"   
  
"This is the Kernel Zone. It's a moon-sized space station that generates vast amounts of power. I'm the owner of this place," replied Akira.   
  
"You own this place?" asked Jeri incredulously.   
  
"Yep, I won it after defeating Overlord GAIA. Overlord GAIA was an AI, just like I am..."   
  
"Just like you?"   
  
"Yep. In truth, I'm actually an AI named True GAIA. This is just my human form."   
  
"True GAIA, Overlord GAIA, are you two related in some way?" asked Jeri.   
  
"Yeah, both of us were based on the same core code," said Akira.   
  
Takato wrote a message to Yamaki then handed his comm device to Akira. "Here Akira, we use this device to communicate with Yamaki. He's waiting to hear from you."   
  
Akira sent a lengthy message detailing his mission. "Okay, I've told Yamaki about the plan, so he understands his role. Is everybody ready to leave?"   
  
Everyone answered in the affirmative. However, Kazu, Kenta, and Terriermon had something to ask. "Wait a minute, Akira!" called Kenta. "I talked to the other Guard Tamers."   
  
"Yeah, and..." said Akira nonchalantly.   
  
"They said no one ever ages back home!"   
  
"We want to know; are you older than us?" asked Kazu.   
  
Akira was a bit embarrassed. "Uh, well..."   
  
"Come on, you can tell us! I wanna know!" said Kenta. "If you're really older than us, we shouldn't be treating you like a kid."   
  
"Really guys, it's no big deal..." dismissed Akira.   
  
"...But we still wanna know! How old are you, Akira?" asked Terriermon.   
  
Akira was reluctant to answer. "Well... That's classified information!" Everyone chuckled, leaving Kazu, Kenta, and Terriermon feeling defeated. 


	4. Digimon Online goes Online

Digi fan:  
Yeah, I've been having problems with my computer, so I couldn't make any updates.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4: Digimon Online goes Online   
  
  
  
  
  
Inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, also known as the Hypnos Towers, the Tamers had arranged a meeting between the Guard Tamers, Yamaki, and his staff. The location was a small lecture hall designed for staff meetings. It was a sterile room, much like that of a lecture hall in a college or university. Seated at the front row near the inner aisle was Yamaki, who was eagerly awaiting the arrival of his guests. Akira and Esmeralda entered and saluted and introduced themselves to Yamaki. The other Tamers entered and a Q&A session to exchange vital information as to how to proceed.   
  
"Hypnos was designed to monitor the network for Digital life," began Yamaki. "We can track a Digimon as it attempts to Biomerge and prevent that from happening with our technology."   
  
"I see," said Akira. "This place is a target for an attack. The enemy will certainly want to hit Hypnos to bring down the Real World's defences."   
  
"We're at a big disadvantage right now," continued Esmeralda. "We know little about the enemy's operation, and they are well entrenched. We don't have much time."   
  
"I have stepped up security," assured Yamaki. "At every entrance to this building are stations to search incoming people, and guards are on patrol 24/7 in and around the building." Yamaki handed a set of passes over. "These are identification passes for you and the Tamers. If you need to see me, use these."   
  
"Thank you, Yamaki," said Akira. "The Sovereigns have helped on their end and have sealed off the Digital World from the Real World after we came here. Don't worry about anyone trying to come in from the Digital World."   
  
"So, all we have to worry about is Digimon already here?" asked Takato.   
  
"Yep, and us Digimon and Guard Tamers have the job of stopping them," replied Akira. "We're going to have to patrol the city for Digimon attacks."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The local supermarket was a bustling place, with several people browsing the aisles for their culinary needs. It was stacked with packages of all shapes and sizes. The produce section was lined with fruits found domestically, and a few grown in foreign farms. In this area, a middle-aged Chinese man was examining his shopping list. The Chinese man's violet hair was beginning to grey from old age, and his glasses made him look intellectual and wise. He read the list entry marked "oranges" and rolled his shopping cart over.   
  
"Hey Tao!" called a familiar voice to this man, Janyu Wong.   
  
Janyu looked around to locate the source of the voice. His eyes came upon a familiar man with an appearance like that of Jesus Christ. This man had grown a bushy brown beard, and the hair on his head was equally long. However, his clothes were that of an ordinary modern man, and not those from antiquity. This man was Goro Mizuno, also known as Shibumi to Janyu and his circle of colleagues. Shibumi and Tao were members of a team of programmers, the Monster Makers, which created Digimon in the Digimon Tamers' world. The two men have rarely seen each other until the D-Reaper's attack on the Real World.   
  
"Hi Shibumi, how's Digimon Online's launch coming along?" asked Janyu.   
  
"It couldn't be better! We're ready to open in a few days," replied Shibumi.   
  
"My son and daughter would love to play that game!"   
  
"Yeah, and so would every child on the face of the world! If you want, I can pull some strings to see if I can get Henry, Suzie, and their friends in earlier."   
  
"Can you? That would be great! They'll love it!"   
  
"Of course, but I can't make any promises. I'll talk to my boss and call you back. See you later Tao! I've got some shopping to do."   
  
"See you, Shibumi!"   
  
The two went their separate ways and Janyu finished his grocery shopping. Janyu promptly drove home to unload his goods. He began to approach a tall condominium that was over twenty stories tall. This building was in the in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, and housed Janyu's apartment. He unlocked the door and was greeted with the sight of a fairly spacious apartment. His home had everything his family needed including a dining room, living room, and enough bedrooms for each person. He called to his family to inform them that he had returned home from shopping. Janyu's already good day was about to become a great day.   
  
Janyu's wife ran up and hugged him. "Hi honey! Did you know? Henry and Suzie have come home!"   
  
"Really?" asked Janyu incredulously. "That's great!"   
  
"Daddy!" called Suzie.   
  
"Dad!" called Henry.   
  
The two Tamers hugged their father. "I'm glad that you two are home safe!" said Janyu with relief.   
  
"There was nothing to worry about, Dad," assured Henry. "All we did was to reunite with our Digimon and come back home with them." Henry deliberately left out the part about being captured and interrogated by Guard Tamers.   
  
"Henry, have you heard of Digimon Online?" asked Janyu.   
  
"Yeah, it's that cool new virtual reality game that's coming out. Why do you ask?"   
  
"I just talked to Shibumi at the supermarket. He's one of the people working on that game. He said he would try to get you and Suzie in earlier."   
  
"Really?" asked Henry incredulously. "That would be great!"   
  
"Don't get your hopes up to high, son. Shibumi only said he would try to get you in earlier. He might not be able to get you in."   
  
"I know, I know, but I'm still excited! I have to go out with Suzie for awhile. I'll be back before dinner."   
  
"Okay, stay safe!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
A week of patrols passed and nothing out of the ordinary happened. Shibumi had called Janyu up with good news; Shibumi was successful in getting Henry and friends in. They were to take part in a press event commemorating the grand opening of Digimon Online. Several cars pulled up into the parking lot of a hi-tech games centre. The building was painted in metallic blue, white, and silver, which made it look anachronistic in the modern world. Through an alley, the Tamers could see a massively long line which extended to the front door. It seemed that the Tamers weren't the only ones eager to try out Digimon Online.   
  
It was a few minutes past two o'clock when the Tamers exited the car. They went in along with their parents, Shibumi, and the President of the company that made Digimon Online. The games centre looked as technologically advanced on the inside as on the outside. It was possibly the cleanest building any of them had ever seen. Female workers in silvery, space-age uniforms operated the computers. They were looking at the monitoring the status of the game world and the machines. The President himself walked up to the counter, and helped everyone set up their accounts.   
  
A female reporter gave a commentary to a camera. "We're at the grand opening of the Digimon Online Centre. With me is President Magami of the Digimon Corporation to tell us about the game."   
  
The cameraman panned to a dark haired Japanese man in his mid-thirties. Appropriately, he was dressed in an immaculate grey business suit. Magami began a long speech on the features of Digimon Online. His speech sounded more like an advertisement for the game, rather than an actual speech. Digimon Online was a virtual reality game made with revolutionary new technology. It interfaced directly with a user's very mind, allowing them to experience everything as though they were actually in the game world. A player registered at the desk in the Online Centre, and entered a pod which transported them mentally into the game world.   
  
In this game, players took on the role of Digimon Tamers. They had their own Digimon in the same way the real Digimon Tamers had Digimon. One of the goals of the game was to explore the world and win Badges to qualify for competition in Server championships. Another goal was to take part in game events which players can shape or direct through their actions. The game itself was essentially a persistent world where players made up the politics. There was no danger of harm or death thanks to fail-safes built into the game. Those who died in game were transported to a respawn point located in various crypts around the game world.   
  
"Wow! This is so cool!" remarked Kazu, when asked about his thoughts on the game.   
  
Indeed, everyone felt the same way Kazu did. For normal people, it was the ultimate way to enjoy the Digimon franchise; by being a "real" Digimon Tamer and going on heroic adventures. For the real Tamers, it was a way to have fun going on similar adventures without any lives at stake. The only disappointing thing was that they couldn't bring their own Digimon partners along. They agreed that doing so would draw too much attention, and alarm too many people. They left their partners at the storm tunnel where Growlmon had to stay until his Digivolution wore off and he reverted to being Guilmon.   
  
"It was nice of Akira and Esmeralda to switch shifts with us!" said Kenta.   
  
"I was hoping we could have taken our Digimon along," lamented Takato. "...But we have to keep them hidden so they don't scare people."   
  
"I feel the same, but I heard they gave you Digimon partners. You even get to pick them out too!" said Ryo.   
  
"Cool! I want Omnimon!" called Kazu.   
  
"I want Imperial Dramon!" chimed in Kenta.   
  
"I don't think they would give you such powerful Digimon so soon," noted Henry. "They'll probably give you Rookies, and possibly Champions. You'll have to build up your Digimon so they can Digivolve to Ultimate and Mega."   
  
Kazu changed his tune. "Well then, I'll just pick Agumon, so I can have War Greymon!"   
  
"Then I'll take Gabumon so I can get Metal Garurumon and DNA Digivolve with War Greymon to get Omnimon!" said Kenta.   
  
"Good idea, Kenta. It's the best one you've ever had!" chuckled Kazu.   
  
Kenta sensed an insult. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"   
  
"I recommend that you all go to different Servers," said the clerk at registration. "It slows the system down if too many people try to enter the same Server at once. Why don't half of you go to Asuka Server, and the rest go to Amaterasu?"   
  
The Tamers and their parents finished their registration, and decided amongst themselves what to do. Takato, Rika, Henry, Jeri, and Suzie entered a series of metal pods. A great flash of light followed and the Tamers were flying through a glimmering blue tube. They felt like a packet of data travelling the information superhighway of the Internet. The tube wound its way up and down, left and right until another flash of light blinded them. They found themselves standing on pads inside of a teleportation room much like those in science fiction shows. Above them was a strange sensor or emitter, which must have been what materialized them in the room.   
  
A female clerk in uniform greeted them. "Welcome to Asuka Server. Please go to the front desk to get your Digimon."   
  
The Tamers followed the clerk to the front desk, which was in the lobby. The lobby was immaculate and the walls were white and silver. It was so clean that Takato could see his own reflection on the floor. On the ground was a blue logo similar to the one on the Blue Cards he used for Matrix Digivolving Guilmon to his Ultimate form, War Growlmon. It looked like a ferocious dinosaur or dragon facing to the left. The Tamers requested their Digimon from the front desk, so the receptionist entered some commands into a computer. Several columns of light shined near the logo.   
  
When the columns died down, the Tamers' game Digimon appeared before their eyes. Takato's pick was a small lizard that looked like a Kendo practitioner from his clothes and bamboo sword. He could see a pair of yellow eyes looking back at him through the bars of the mask. Rika's pick was a small, grey bear wearing a blue cap that had the word "BEARS" on it. His claws looked sharp and were wrapped by a set of blue leather straps. Henry's pick was a small monkey with green fur and tribal war markings on his face. He was wearing a leopard's skin, and had a large sling shot tied to his back. All three of the Tamers were glad to see their Digimon.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Kotemon   
Type: Data   
Level: Rookie   
Element: Darkness   
  
Kotemon is an avid practitioner of the Japanese sport of Kendo. His experience has made him among the most skilled sword fighters of Digimon kind.   
  
Attacks:   
Hot Head - Kotemon can empower his Kendo stick with fire. When using this ability, he tends to aim for an enemy's head.   
  
Thunder Kote - Kotemon can electrify his Kendo stick. He can then choose to shoot the electricity out with a swing to the ground or store it to empower his sword.   
  
_** **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Bearmon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Rookie   
Element: None   
  
Bearmon looks like a mere cub, but he is as strong as a fully grown bear. He practices boxing and claw fighting to complement his natural abilities.   
  
Attacks:   
Bear Fist - Bearmon can launch powerful swipes with his claws.   
  
Bear Roll - Bearmon can curl himself up and roll into enemies like a bowling ball.   
  
_** **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Monmon  
Type: Virus   
Level: Rookie   
Element: None   
  
Monmon enjoys using his slingshot to shoot at distant targets. He can be somewhat mischievous at times but never really means any harm.   
  
Attacks:   
Swing Swing - This is the name of Monmon's slingshot. It can be used to launch projectiles such as magically created nuts.   
  
Mischievous Hop - Monmon likes to jump onto opponents like stepping stones.   
  
_** Bearmon waved to Rika. "Hi, I'm Bearmon!"   
  
"You're my new Tamer right?" asked Kotemon to Takato.   
  
Henry gave a warm welcome to his new Digimon. "Hi Monmon, I'm Henry Wong, your new Tamer!"   
  
"Clear the area. We've got more Digimon coming in," called the receptionist.   
  
A new set of columns of light flashed and a pair of new Digimon appeared. The first of the Digimon was a small bird with pink plumage. She had blue markings on her head and tail feathers, and wore a metal anklet on her left leg. The second Digimon was also female, but looked like a mobile plant with a burgundy flower growing on her head. Her eyes were a darker shade of green than her body, and she walked on stalks made from a set of tightly packed roots.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Biyomon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Rookie   
Element: Wind/Fire   
  
This cute bird is a favourite Digimon of female Tamers. She can Digivolve into majestic fire birds. The Digidestined of Love has a Biyomon for her partner.   
  
Attacks:   
Spiral Twister - Biyomon can exhale green flames which travel to their target in the form of a spiral.   
  
_** **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Palmon   
Type: Data   
Level: Rookie   
Element: Nature   
  
Palmon loves beautiful things, especially flowers in full bloom. She is a seed that will blossom into a fairy to preserve the beauty of nature. The Digidestined of Sincerity has a Palmon for her partner.   
  
Attacks:   
Poison Ivy - Palmon can shoot out retractable vines which can grab distant targets.   
  
_** "Oh! There's my cute little birdie!" said Suzie.   
  
"Hi, I'm Palmon what's your name?" asked Palmon.   
  
"I'm Jeri. I'm going to be your new Tamer!"   
  
The Tamers received a tutorial from the receptionist and moved outside of the Administration Centre and into Asuka City itself. They were greeted with the vista of a vast city of the future. The daytime sun in the azure sky was shining brightly and the light reflected off the silver and white buildings. It was a warm day, but not too hot and the wind picked up into gentle cool breezes. The city was a beautiful sight with Digimon roaming around peacefully, and not fighting for survival in the bloodbath of the Tamers' Digital World. They knew they could enjoy themselves and not worry about attacks from hostile Digimon, at least in the city.   
  
Henry and the other Tamers stopped before a shop with a sign bearing the picture of a pair of crossed swords. "Hey, there's a store here. Let's check it out!"   
  
Inside they came upon several shelves worth of merchandise. The pungent smell of unknown herbs filled the noses of the Tamers. In the back, they could hear something bubbling. They didn't recognize any of the items on display. This store, the Asuka Armoury, was actually run by a human proprietor and his Digimon partners. The proprietor was a blond, blue-eyed, Caucasian man who stood about six feet tall. He looked the hard working type and was in a soiled white apron. Apparently, the Asuka Armoury was only an armoury in name. From the scent of herbs, this man sold medicine in his shop as well, and he was concocting more doses for selling.   
  
The proprietor's Digimon were a motley bunch. The first Digimon, Gargomon, stood at the leftmost counter in the store. He was a much larger version of Henry's Terriermon, and wore a pair of jeans and a belt of bullets around his torso. A pair of revolving machineguns had been grafted onto his arms. The second Digimon stood at the rightmost counter. He was wearing a blue pointed hat with a skull emblem, a blue cape, and a yellow jumpsuit with odd designs. He was appropriately called Wizardmon, and bore a staff with the symbol of the sun on its end. The last Digimon, Gomamon, was a small, seal-like beast. He had an orange Mohawk on his head, snow white fur, and violet markings.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Wizardmon   
Type: Data   
Level: Champion   
Element: Lightning   
  
Though Wizardmon is a master of magical deception and trickery, he can defend himself with lightning magic should he be threatened. He is one of the most versatile Digimon known to exist.   
  
Attacks:   
Thunder Ball - Wizardmon can project a sphere of concentrated electricity at a foe.   
  
Magical Game - This attack can produce a variety of magical effects. Known effects include teleportation, creating illusions, and the projection of lightning bolts.   
  
_** **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Gomamon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Rookie   
Element: Water/Ice   
  
Gomamon are sea mammals that are adept swimmers and live in icy waters. The Digidestined of Reliability calls a Gomamon his partner.   
  
Attacks:   
Marching Fishes - Gomamon can summon fishes to aid him. They can act as spies or attack an enemy if needed.   
  
_** Gomamon was standing between the two counters and organizing a set of trinkets on the shelves. The other two Digimon were also organizing their respective areas in anticipation of the flood of new players, and hence, new customers. Though the Digimon and the proprietor were busy at work, the store was still somewhat disorganized. The proprietor spotted the Tamers and directed them to his Digimon, who acted as the store clerks. The Tamers split up to browse the store's wares. Takato and Rika went to Gomamon, Henry and Suzie were talking to Gargomon, and Jeri was talking to Wizardmon.   
  
"How may I help you?" asked Gomamon.   
  
"What do you sell here?" asked Takato.   
  
"We sell various trinkets here that enhance your Digimon's abilities," said Gomamon. "For example, our rings help protect you from elemental damage like fire and lightning. Here's a list of all the merchandise we carry."   
  
Takato and Rika took the list and read it over, while Gomamon answered any inquiries. Each item was interesting its own way, and the Tamers knew that it would be a good idea to acquire some for their Digimon. Some of the items were grouped into families, such as the Crest family. In particular, the Recovery Crest was very appealing since it allowed a Digimon to gradually regenerate any damage done to them. With this item, Takato and Rika could save some money by going to the inn less often to let their Digimon recuperate.   
  
Takato checked the price of the Crest and the amount of Bits he had available. "Okay, I'll take a Recovery Crest."   
  
"Me too," said Rika.   
  
"That'll be a hundred Bits please," requested Gomamon.   
  
The two Tamers switched shops with the others. Gargomon sold trinkets as well, but his had the effect of enhancing attributes, and gave elemental properties to a Digimon's physical attacks. Takato ended up buying a Holy Power One and Rika bought an Ice Power One for one hundred Bits each. When they went to Wizardmon, they found out that he sold medical supplies and drugs. The two Tamers bought a pair of Power Charge pills for another hundred Bits total, leaving them with two hundred bits remaining. Both Tamers were satisfied with their purchases.   
  
Wizardmon gave the Tamers a lesson in the usage of the Powers and Crests. "The Crest and Powers are applied like stamps. Simply press the Crest into the arm of your Digimon. For the Powers, make sure to put it on the back of your Digimon's hand, otherwise it won't work."   
  
Takato followed the instructions and in a flash of light, a tattoo of a white star appeared on the back of Kotemon's hand. "Cool!"   
  
"In order to use the Power, your Digimon must make a regular, physical attack against the victim. For example, Kotemon, swing your Kendo stick into that dummy on my left."   
  
Kotemon slashed the dummy, and the star tattoo began to glow. A small burst of holy energy flashed at the point of contact, knocking the dummy away. Wizardmon instructed Bearmon to do the same, but a burst of ice appeared instead of holy energy. These bursts of ice and holy energy were proof that the Powers were working properly. If the Tamers came upon the right enemy, the Powers would enhance the damage they dealt to their foe. Thus, it was a wise decision to get a variety of Powers to be prepared for any situation.   
  
"If you want to use your medicine, just think about it and your satellite will put it into your hands. Feed the pill to your Digimon to have it take effect."   
  
Each Tamer looked at their satellite; an orange orb orbited by four smaller blue orbs. Takato tried that and the satellite flickered briefly. A pill had materialized in his hands. "Pretty handy," commented Takato.   
  
"I'm sure you know this but only you and your Digimon can see your satellite. This is a precaution to prevent players from stealing your hard earned items."   
  
The Tamers finished up their shopping and lessons in the usage of their merchandise. They went their separate ways to explore and enjoy the game world. Takato and Rika paired up again, and decided to go outside of the city limits. They passed a pair of guards at the Asuka gate and crossed a bridge to the Central Park. The Central Park was a beautiful place with lush vegetation in the form of trees and grass. Occasionally, the scenery was broken up by a set of poles with propellers that ended in scoops on the top. The Tamers concluded that these stalks used wind to turn turbines that generated power for Asuka City.   
  
The two walked deeper south until they came upon a beach. The ocean view was a deep azure and the waves washed onto the shore with a steady rhythm. "It's so beautiful here, eh Rika? It looks like the perfect place to go out on a date."   
  
Rika was suspicious of where Takato was going. "You're not thinking of asking me out on a date are you, Gogglehead?"   
  
"Wha... Me? I'm just admiring how beautiful this place is." Takato ran to the sandy area and picked up a handful of sand. "The sand is so white and warm. I'd love to take a vacation here!"   
  
"Watch out!" Kotemon tackled his Tamer onto the ground just as a jet of water punched a crater into the wall of rocks.   
  
A hermit crab emerged from the waters, with a hungry look on its face. His shell was a spiral that tapered to a point at the top, and had a set of defensive horns covering it. His fleshy portions were pink in colour and resembled the torso of a reptilian creature. On his head was a bush of yellow dreadlocks. It moved by using its arms and the muscles of its underbelly for propulsion. Kotemon knew that this Digimon, Shellmon, intended harm. He entered into a combat stance with his Kendo stick ready to strike, and stared defiantly at Shellmon. Bearmon leapt to Kotemon's side and entered into a martial arts fighting stance.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Shellmon   
Type: Data   
Level: Champion   
Element: Water   
  
Shellmon is often found near coastal areas where he bases his search for food. Shellmon's shell is virtually impenetrable and he will retreat inside should he be endangered.   
  
Attacks:   
Aqua Blaster - Shellmon can spray a jet of pressurized water. This jet carries enough force to punch a hole into a solid stone wall.   
  
_** "Aqua Blaster!" Shellmon sprayed a second jet of water, hitting the empty ground as the two Tamers' Digimon leapt to safety.   
  
"Bear Roll!"   
  
"Thunder Kote!"   
  
Bearmon curled himself into a ball of fur and propelled himself like a cannonball. Shellmon saw the attack coming and retreated into the safety of his shell. In the meantime, Kotemon charged up for his Thunder Kote attack. His Kendo stick crackled with the power of electricity flowing through it. He smashed the sword onto the ground and a bolt of lightning arced into Shellmon. The Hermit Crab Digimon's shell was not effective at stopping electricity, and he cried out in pain. The enemy's body vanished with a flicker of light similar to a TV being shut off. Unlike normal Digimon, not even a single speck of data was released upon Shellmon's death.   
  
"Are you ok, Takato?" asked Rika.   
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied.   
  
"You have to keep your eyes peeled away from the cities. Digimon can come at you at any time," warned Bearmon.   
  
"At least no one was hurt," said Kotemon. "Digimon Online has safety measures so no one is ever at any serious risk."   
  
"So, what do we do now?" asked Rika.   
  
"Why don't we look around the park some more?" suggested Kotemon   
  
"That sounds nice. Okay everyone, let's go!" exclaimed Takato.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Back at Asuka City, the Tamers' parents and friends had entered the game world from the Online Centre. The first to come were the Wongs, the Nonakas, and Shibumi. With the exception of Shibumi, they too were in awe of the realism of the environment like the Tamers. It was obvious that there was powerful technology behind the creation of the game world. The Nonaka family, minus Rika, were at the front desk picking out their Digimon. They had a tough time choosing a Digimon partner from such a huge list of Rookies. They decided to wait until they were in the game world to make their decision.   
  
The Nonaka family consisted of only two women, Rumiko Nonaka and Seiko Hata, Rika's mother and grandmother respectively. Rumiko was a beauty of a woman with a young, beautiful complexion and locks of silky brown hair. She was a career model, and her sense of fashion was displayed by her lovely, frilly, white dress. Seiko preferred traditional Japanese forms of dress, and wore a brown kimono made of fine silk. She was quite young for a grandmother, and her brown hair was only beginning to grey. As she watched her daughter choosing Digimon, she noted the relation of some Digimon to the myths of various ancient people, including the Japanese.   
  
"Hey, they have Renamon! That's Rika's guardian!" remarked Seiko.   
  
"Yeah, you're right." Rumiko had a more difficult time, running through several pictographic slides. She wanted to find the cutest Digimon she could get. "Hmm, how about Gotsumon? Nah, he's too hard and I wouldn't want to hug him. Tentomon? Not cute enough."   
  
"Why don't you get a Snow Agumon like I did?" recommended Seiko. "You can always catch another one later with your satellite."   
  
"Okay, mother." Rumiko punched in her choice of a Snow Agumon.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Snow Agumon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Rookie   
Element: Ice   
  
Snow Agumon is the icy equivalent of the normal, fiery Agumon and Digivolves into other ice based Digimon. He is cool to the touch and thrives in the icy, mountainous North Sector.   
  
Attacks:   
Frozen Wind - Snow Agumon's icy breath can encase enemies in a block of ice.   
  
Ice Claw - Snow Agumon can surround his claws with ice to enhance their damage.   
  
_** Two baby tyrannosaurs with icy blue skin appeared next to the Digimon logo. Seiko picked up her partner and hugged him. "I'm Seiko! I'm going to be your new partner, Snow Agumon."   
  
"They're even cuter in person!" remarked Rumiko as she hugged her Snow Agumon and received a sensation of coolness.   
  
In a corner of the Admin Centre, Janyu and Shibumi were having a chat. With them was a third figure, a Digimon, which was mechanical in nature. He was a short robot about three feet tall. His head made up the majority of his body and was shaped like a pill. His brain took up at least half of the "pill." It was nothing more than a set of computer chips and circuitry enclosed in a clear, plastic dome. His metal face bore a toothy maw, and there was a crack that revealed an organic left eye. His hands and feet were connected to his body by retractable cables made of Chrome Digizoid, an extraordinary metal from the Digital World. This Digimon, Datamon, was Shibumi's aide in the maintenance of Digimon Online's servers.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Datamon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Element: Metal   
  
Datamon is a master machinist and computer expert who helps with the maintenance of Digimon Online. He can create small probes the size of a molecule to repair the game world and program its machinery.   
  
Attacks:   
Digital Bomb - Datamon can lob explosive grenades which release a pulse that dazes mechanical Digimon temporarily.   
  
Nano Swarm - Datamon can release a cloud of probes that behave like a swarm of locusts under Datamon's control. The probes attack by generating electrical shocks.   
  
_** "This is the chance of a lifetime. I can really put the time we spent on the Digimon project to good use," said Shibumi with satisfaction.   
  
"I'm happy for you, Shibumi! I really am!" said Tao sincerely.   
  
Datamon reminded Shibumi about a job they had to do. "Shibumi, we have to go check out the windmills."   
  
Shibumi sighed. "Alright, I have to go. See you later, Tao." 


	5. Shibumi's Revelation

Nameless person:   
I understand what each word means, but I just made a typo when I wrote that section.   
  
  
  
Epsilon:   
I had the same impression with Digimon World 3. In fact, they were made by the same company; Bandai.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 5: Shibumi's Revelation   
  
  
  
  
  
An uneventful three months passed by, and Shibumi was busy as usual. He was standing at the very top of the Admin Centre in Asuka City, and beside him was his assistant, Datamon. Down below, the buildings of the city looked like a child's play set. The people moved like ants scurrying around at a picnic for food. The Admin Centre staff had complained about some static that garbled their communications signals. Shibumi was dispatched to the receiving dish on the roof to effect repairs. He looked over the metal dish and found a hole near the centre. Shibumi sighed and opened his toolbox to begin work.   
  
"I tell you Goro, kids have no respect for other people's property," lamented Datamon, as he sprayed several probes over the hole.   
  
Shibumi pulled out a tool that resembled an electric razor and fired an azure beam towards the probes. The probes melted into metal goo and sealed the opening. Shibumi changed the settings of his welding tool and fired a second beam that cleaned away the excess metal. He repeated the process for the rear of the dish, and stood back to inspect his work. The dish was as good as new, and it was as though the hole was never there.   
  
Shibumi entered the frequency of the Admin Centre into his radio. "Try the communicators now."   
  
A few brief moments passed. "It's working like a charm," replied a male technician.   
  
"Okay, I'm returning back to the Admin Centre."   
  
Shibumi packed his tools and climbed down the ladder to the ground. He ended up just to the right of the Admin Centre's main entrance. As he entered the lobby, he passed by a pair of servicemen leaving the lobby. The popularity of Digimon Online never ceased to amaze Shibumi. It was time for him to quit work for the day, so Datamon returned his tools to storage. Shibumi made his way to the workers' Login Room.   
  
He passed a door restricted to employees only and signed off on the scheduling machine near the Login Room's door. "Quitting time, Goro?" asked the Login technician.   
  
"Yeah," replied Shibumi. "Man, it is bad enough that people mess up things in the Real World, but do they have ruin things in my game too?"   
  
"Another repair job, eh?"   
  
Shibumi rolled his eyes back out of exasperation. "Yeah, they messed up the Admin Centre's communications dish. I had to go up there and fix it."   
  
The technician sighed. "Kids can be such punks... Stand on that blue disk and I'll get you home."   
  
Shibumi waited patiently as requested and a column of blue light engulfed him. He found himself inside of a metal pod with enough room to fit a grown man. It promptly moved as though being slid across a rail hanging overhead. The pod stopped and opened to reveal the interior of the Online Centre. Even at such a late hour, hundreds of people were lined up at the registration desk. He felt proud that so many people loved his creation. As he said to Tao, it was a dream that came true. However, all good things come to an end, and his dream was about to be shattered before his very eyes...   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Shibumi entered the lobby of a clean, well furbished office building. The black tiled floors looked like plates of glossy onyx in the fluorescent lighting. At the other end of the room was the giant dinosaur logo of the Digimon Online Corporation. Below the logo was a reception area with a young female secretary talking on the phone. Shibumi asked her if the wage distributing accountant was in, and received an affirmative reply and directions.   
  
Shibumi opened the door to the accountant's office and was greeted by the sight of a slightly unkempt office. The female accountant was busy reading over mounds of paperwork, scrutinizing every detail. She was a lovely woman in her early forties with shoulder length, greying brown hair. She had a slender, graceful build, and her glasses made her look quite intellectual and professional. She looked up as soon as she realized Shibumi's presence.   
  
"Hi, Goro," said the accountant.   
  
"Hi, Kasumi. You seem quite busy," remarked Shibumi.   
  
"Yeah," said Kasumi. "I've been looking over these donations to the Shinjuku Humane Society, but something strange keeps happening whenever I call them. I always get a message saying this number wasn't in use."   
  
"Did you try during the day?"   
  
"Yeah, several times. I had the same problem with all the other charities on the list. I need you to do me a favour if you have the time."   
  
"Sure. What is it?"   
  
"Check out these addresses," replied Kasumi as she handed a list to Shibumi. "See if you can find out why they never answer my calls."   
  
Shibumi stroked his beard pensively. "Okay, but before I forget, let me have my pay check."   
  
Kasumi checked over her files and produced Shibumi's pay check. He tucked it away safely and left for the bank. The next day, he drove out to the first address on his list. He expected to find a typical office building, but was shocked by what he really saw. The address led him to a run down lot outside of the city. An equally run down house was on this lot, with boarded up windows and smashed up walls. Shibumi checked inside the building, but found only cobwebs and nothing more.   
  
Shibumi continued his search and each location led to an empty and abandoned lot. He concluded that these were fake charities. Something very strange was going on. He and Kasumi might have stumbled onto something illegal going on in the Digimon Online Corporation. He began to wonder where all that money was going. He decided to visit Kasumi at work and tell her about his discovery.   
  
Kasumi was shocked. "They're not real?"   
  
"I only went to five of the locations, but each one led me to an empty lot," replied Shibumi.   
  
"Very suspicious..."   
  
"Yeah. I think we should keep a low profile on this. We don't know who we're dealing with."   
  
"Before you go, let me make some copies of the company's financial records. We'll need them as proof." Shibumi waited patiently before Kasumi produced the vital documents. "Take care, Goro."   
  
"You too."   
  
Shibumi left the building and started his car. As he left the parking lot, he looked into his rear view window and saw a black car turn the corner behind him. Shibumi continued his drive, habitually looking into his rear view mirror. The black car was always there, even after several minutes of driving. He began to grow suspicious and attempted to lose the car. His car's tires screeched as he sped into a left turn, but the black car matched his move and sped up. In the rear window, he saw the passenger lean out of his window and draw a handgun.   
  
"Oh great, looks like they're through playing," thought Shibumi.   
  
The thug's handgun banged as it rained bullets on Shibumi's car. The bullets clanged against the car's chassis, and left holes in the metal. Another bullet smashed a hole into his rear windshield, scattering glass all over his rear seat. Try as he might, Shibumi couldn't shake off the thugs. They caught up and rammed his car from behind, nearly knocking him into his own steering wheel. He lost control and skidded into a wooden fence, narrowly missing a young child walking down the street. The thugs rammed Shibumi again, trapping him in the fence.   
  
However, the child turned out to be Akira Violet. "What the hell's going on?" he wondered as he recovered from his dive to safety. He noticed the thugs drawing handguns and turned into his True GAIA form.   
  
Two thugs exited their car and approached Shibumi. However, they had not counted on True GAIA's Digimon being melded with the darkness of the shadows. Darkfryer suddenly revealed himself, and sprayed Dread Fire onto a thug. The thug screamed in agony and collapsed onto the ground. Lillith slashed the second thug with two Lightning Paws before he could even react. The first struck his arm and knocked the gun away, and the second tore a trio of bloody marks on his chest.   
  
With a flick of True GAIA's hand, a wave of invisible force bowled over the two remaining thugs. The sheer surprise value caused them to drop their guns. One foolishly decided to fight back and dove to retrieve his gun. However, True GAIA saw it coming and burned a hole into his chest with an energy beam. The last thug panicked and ran away as fast as he could. Darkfryer and Lillith joined their Tamer, and scanned the area.   
  
True GAIA reverted to Akira and helped Shibumi, who was bleeding from minor injuries sustained from his crash. "Are you ok? My name is Akira Violet."   
  
Shibumi groaned as got to his feet. He was surprised upon spotting Akira's Digimon. "A Digimon Tamer? I'm okay, thanks for your help. I'm Goro Mizuno. I need to see a Mitsuo Yamaki at the Metropolitan Building right away!"   
  
"Relax," said Akira, as he administered first aid. "Your health comes first. There's no hurry with those goons out of commission."   
  
Akira, his Digimon, and Shibumi made it to the Tokyo Metropolitan Building without incident. They found Yamaki in the network monitoring room as usual. "Shibumi? What happened to you?" asked Yamaki with great concern.   
  
"Some thugs tried kill me, but Akira took them out," replied Shibumi.   
  
"Yeah," confirmed Akira. "Mr. Mizuno needed to see you urgently."   
  
"That's right. It's because of this."   
  
Shibumi gave the financial records to Yamaki, who proceeded to flip through them. "Digimon Online's financial records?" asked Yamaki.   
  
"Yeah," replied Shibumi. "I found some strange things were going on there. They've been donating money to fake charities. I'm afraid of finding out who is getting the money from my company."   
  
"I see. This bears further investigation," said Yamaki.   
  
"Yeah, Digimon Online might be harbouring them," continued Akira.   
  
"Those charities were probably fronts to channel funding for their operations," noted Yamaki.   
  
"Who do you mean by them?" asked Shibumi.   
  
"Akira warned me of a subversive force acting in both the Real and Digital Worlds. They are gathering Digimon to supplement their army."   
  
Shibumi was shocked. "You mean to tell me that terrorists are using my game to attack our world?"   
  
"That's right!" replied Akira.   
  
Shibumi grimaced. "My God! All this time I thought I was creating a game, but instead, I've been helping terrorists grow more powerful! Something doesn't make sense, how did you come to know this Akira?"   
  
"I haven't been totally up front with you Mr. Mizuno," admitted Akira. "In reality, I'm Commander Akira Violet of the Black Sword Guard Team."   
  
Shibumi was surprised. "You're in an army?"   
  
"Yeah, you could say that," replied Akira. "I'm from another Digital World that is fighting a war against them."   
  
"I'm still wondering how we could've missed the game world with the Hypnos system and Guard Tamers searching for it?" asked Yamaki.   
  
"Digimon Online's servers generate a barrier that protects and hides the game world," replied Shibumi. While it's up, the world is cut off from the rest of the network."   
  
"Can you shut it off some how?" asked Yamaki.   
  
Shibumi nodded. "Yeah, I know the codes, but I must go into the game world to do it."   
  
"We have to act fast," stated Akira. "Yamaki, call the other Tamers here ASAP and brief them. I'm going to contact central command."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
An hour later, the Angel Squadron boarded a Guard Tamer helicopter in preparation to enter the game world. It consisted of Takato, Rika, Henry, Jeri, Suzie, Akira, Esmeralda, and their Digimon. The helicopter was an artefact of high technology, with a slick, rounded design and a blue coat of paint. Instead of using rotors for propulsion, the chopper used a pair of gravity jets mounted on its wings. This allowed the vehicle to achieve much higher speeds than an ordinary chopper, and still retain the advantage of taking off and landing vertically. This new vehicle was dubbed the "jet copter" for such reasons.   
  
The mission called for Shibumi to enter Asuka Server alone and sabotage the barrier of each server. Once the barriers went down, teams would move in and set up headquarters to search the server. Angel Squadron also had the additional task of extracting Shibumi from the Dum Dum Factory on the Byakko Continent. In the meantime, other people, included the remaining Tamers, had to defend the Real World. Everyone anxiously awaited word of Shibumi's safety and success.   
  
The radio beeped. "This is Centcom calling Angel Squadron, do you copy?" asked mission control.   
  
Akira answered. "This is Angel One. We copy."   
  
"A large planet sized mass has appeared on our sensors. We have confirmed it to be Asuka Server. Begin launch immediately."   
  
"Yes sir! Launching immediately!" Akira closed the channel and opened a new one to his jet copter squadron. "Esmeralda, fire up the engines!"   
  
"Yes, sir," she replied, flicking the ignition on.   
  
A ripple of force swooshed out of the jets as the jet copters became airborne. The choppers entered into an echelon formation with Angel One taking point. Akira radioed the other choppers to request their status. Each chopper reported nothing out of the ordinary, and everything was going according to plan. Asuka Server loomed in the distance, gradually growing larger as Angel Squadron approached. It was when the choppers entered Asuka's atmosphere that trouble started.   
  
"Angel One to Angel Squadron, report your status," requested Akira. Angels Two to Five responded affirmatively, but no word came from the others. "Angel Six, Angel Seven, do you copy?" There was silence on the radio. "Angel Eight, Angel Nine, please respond!"   
  
Esmeralda looked at the radar. "I'm not picking them up on the radar!"   
  
"Damn! The barrier must have come up just before they got in! Oh great," cursed Akira in frustration. "How are we going to fight with only half of our team?"   
  
Indeed, the sudden restoration of the barrier came as a shock to everyone. Only Angels One to Five had breached Asuka's atmosphere. Angel One carried Akira and his Tamer and Digimon allies. Angel Two and Angel Three were air support, which flanked Angel One from behind and carried aerial Digimon to combat enemy air units. Angel Four was a personnel carrier that held a retinue of marines and Digimon within. Their purpose was to clear and to capture enemy buildings. Angel Five was a cargo chopper that carried the critical supplies necessary for establishing a temporary base of operations.   
  
Angel Eight and Angel Nine were also carrying supplies, making their loss a big blow to Angel Squadron. The Angel Squadron would have to farm the game world for more supplies. They landed at the designated area, the ruins of a ziggurat hidden within the verdant maze of Protocol Forest. These ruins were known appropriately as the Protocol Ruins. It was a remote area, so few people would go there. Thus, the Guard Tamers' presence would be well hidden in this location.   
  
The moss covered ruins were a magnificent sight to behold, and could pass as a wonder of the Asuka world. The front had a line of ruined columns leading up to the actual entrance. The columns had ancient pictures of various Digimon in day to day activities such as farming and metal working. Angel Squadron touched down on the stony ground and began setting up a camp in the area. After an hour's work, five metallic domes went up and became operational. The base quickly established a schedule of patrols to gather intelligence and maintain security in the area.   
  
Akira gave the Tamers a brief lesson in operating firearms and protective exoskeletons. The five Tamers practiced training guns in a makeshift firing range beside the temple. It was a valuable lesson, as they had never fired a gun in their lives. Though the recoil was lower than with modern weapons, it took some adjustment to get reasonable accuracy. Takato, Rika, Henry, and Jeri were comfortable with their submachine guns, but Suzie had difficulty handling one due to her smaller stature.   
  
Akira took the submachine gun away and replaced it with a more pistol-like model. "Try this one on for size."   
  
Suzie gripped the gun with both hands and fired a burst onto a target emblem. Her accuracy was very poor, as only a few shots had hit their mark. "I can't hit the target!"   
  
Akira looked at Suzie's posture and behaviour as she fired. "When you fire, look down your gun at where you want the shots to go. Also, don't fire all your shots at once. Fire in small bursts so you don't waste your ammo."   
  
Suzie followed Akira's suggestions and improved her accuracy drastically. "Whee! I can hit the target!"   
  
"Good work!" complimented Akira. "Try to be a little faster because the enemy won't give you much time to react." He called the Tamers over to give them a lecture about responsibility with firearms.   
  
On the Digimon's side, they were having a work out to be ready for the battles ahead. Amar held up the palm of his hands as targets for Turuiemon, Lopmon's Champion form. Turuiemon resembled a humanoid rabbit with violet fur. She was a martial arts themed Digimon, as indicated by her yellow gi and the katars strapped to her red gloves. Like Lopmon, she had a trio of horns on her head arranged as a downward pointing triangle. Her lean build implied that she was a fairly agile Digimon. She landed a three punch combo and returned to a ready stance.   
  
"Relax and try the combo again," advised Amar. Turuiemon tried again, landing the punches more rapidly than before. "Good!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Digital City marines donned their black battle exoskeletons. While Akira and other members of the Angel Squadron held down the fort, they entered to explore the temple. The leader looked at a rough map produced by supersonic technology. It was quite dark inside, even with torches lighting the corridors. The walls were marked with occult symbols, and suggested the ruins to be some kind of tomb. They encountered a fork in the road and split up to cover more ground.   
  
Eventually, one of the squads came upon a magnificent throne room. Unlike the rest of the temple, the walls were lined with gold and the floor was made of marble. The light of braziers reflected off the walls, making the gold glitter. There were Egyptian hieroglyphics written along the wall, but no one had any idea what they were saying. The throne itself was a work of art, with an ovular back, and made of solid gold. On this throne sat a large and noble Digimon king.   
  
The king was actually an Egyptian pharaoh. He looked like a mummy wrapped in golden bandages. On his face was a golden mask with a long protrusion on his chin, and a jackal carving on its forehead. His mask had openings for a pair of burning crimson eyes. His cape was as white as snow, and shuffled as he stood up to greet his visitors. The marines recognized this Digimon as Pharaohmon, an undead Digimon who appeared nobler than most undead.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Pharaohmon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Mega   
Element: Darkness/Poison   
  
Pharaohmon is a king among the undead, and a demigod in his own right. Although suspicious of intruders in his domain, he is also a benign and honourable king.   
  
Attacks:   
Necro Mist - Pharaohmon is capable of spraying a violet cloud of toxins. These toxins sicken their victims temporary and allow Pharaohmon to make a follow up attack.   
  
Tut Ankh Rail - Pharaohmon's ornate rail gun is shaped like an ankh. It fires destructive bolts of dark energy.   
  
Fist of Nile - Pharaohmon can throw punches enhanced with globes of pressurized water.   
  
_** "Stop humans! You have trespassed onto my domain," warned Pharaohmon with a booming voice. "State your business here."   
  
Colonel Jones stepped forward. "I am Colonel Harland Jones of the Fifth Division of the Digital City Marine Corps. We're here on a mission to prevent the proliferation of Digimon into the ranks of a tyrannical enemy. We'd appreciate your help."   
  
"Give me proof of what you say, and I'll consider it," requested Pharaohmon. Jones handed a handheld planner to Pharaohmon. He read a blurb about Shibumi and was shocked. "Someone tried to murder Goro Mizuno?"   
  
"Yeah. Goro Mizuno discovered proof of their activities. One of our troops repelled the assassins, and he joined us to bring these people to justice."   
  
"Mizuno is a friend of mine. He was the person who created my temple. Very well. I'll help you."   
  
The marines returned to their camp outside of the temple. They brought Pharaohmon with them to meet with the members of the Angel Squadron. Pharaohmon pledged the assistance of his royal guard to the Guard Tamers cause. The guard was a motley group of Digimon and assembled in front of their lord. This aid was much needed after several Angel Squadron members were lost during the move into the game world.   
  
"Thanks for your help, Pharaohmon," said Akira.   
  
"Don't mention it. A friend of Goro Mizuno is a friend of mine. I appreciate you saving Mizuno from the assassins," replied Pharaohmon. "Where is he now? Is he alright?"   
  
"Yeah. Shibumi told us that Digimon were hiding him at the Dum Dum Factory on Byakko Continent. I'm going to take a jet copter to get him after I finish giving our Real World allies some basic training," replied Akira.   
  
"I'm relieved to hear that. Many of Asuka's Digimon respect Mizuno. He's a father figure to us all."   
  
Akira and the other Guard Tamers set up a lesson in self-defence for the Tamers. One of the marines donned a suit of padded armour and a mask to pretend to be an attacker. Each of the Tamers performed differently in the lesson. Henry was a master in this area, as he had extensive martial arts training from his sensei. The marine made a mock attack on Henry. He promptly snatched his assailant's fist and took him down in expedient fashion. Henry finished his downed foe with a shot to the solar plexus.   
  
"Henry won't need much training. He really knows martial arts," commented Terriermon.   
  
Takato and Rika had more to learn as they didn't have any formal self-defence training. However, both Tamers learned their skills with only moderate difficulties. Since the Digimon Queen had quite a chip on her shoulder, it was natural to lash out at anyone that laid a finger on her. Her assailant grabbed her from behind, but Rika was ready. She responded by driving her elbow into his stomach. The attacker's hold broke, and Rika grabbed the attacker's head and rammed her knee into his face.   
  
"Rika has quite a mean streak," commented Henry.   
  
"I wouldn't expect any less," said Renamon. "She would not allow anyone to mess with her."   
  
"You got that right!" said Rika defiantly.   
  
Henry helped train his sister and Jeri, but it was somewhat difficult to make Suzie take it seriously. In Jeri's case, she had reservations about hitting and hurting someone else. It took some coaxing before they began fighting back. Jeri kicked her attacker in the groin and struck his lowered face with her knee. Suzie practiced escaping from being held by an assailant. He picked Suzie up, and she began to panic.   
  
"Calm down, Suzie!" called Henry. "Don't panic. Take a deep breath, yell at him, and then kick him in the face!"   
  
The marine restarted the mock attack. Suzie inhaled deeply. "Let me go!" Suzie's foot shot into the attacker's face, forcing him to release her. She bit down hard on the marine's leg and ran away. "Was that okay, Henwy?"   
  
"Very good!" replied Henry.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Akira, Esmeralda, and the Tamers suited up for Shibumi's extraction. Each person donned a special belt with a series of buttons and pouches for ammo magazines. This belt activated the same protective exoskeletons worn as armour by marines and materialized the weapons they used. Takato pressed a button and a submachine gun appeared in his hand. The Tamers remarked the how technologically advanced the Guard Tamers were.   
  
"Cool! They're laser guns like on TV. They can stun people too," said Takato as he adjusted the setting.   
  
"Yeah, this technology was a gift from Baihumon," noted Esmeralda. "Only certain people can use it."   
  
"Say, what's that extra tube below your gun?" asked Takato.   
  
"It's a grenade launcher," replied Esmeralda. "We didn't give you any because you don't have the necessary training to use them safely." Takato nodded in understanding.   
  
"Is everyone suited up?" asked Akira. The Tamers nodded affirmatively. "Then let's get Mizuno!"   
  
The Tamers boarded the jet copter, and the engine started whirring faintly. It took off for the west, passing over a seemingly endless sea of trees underneath. The Tamers remarked how beautiful and verdant Protocol Forest was. Pharaohmon's temple looked like so small from their vantage point. The jet copter sped forward, eventually flying over a plains covered very sparsely by trees. To the north was a familiar metropolis that stretched as far as the eye could see.   
  
Suzie pointed at the metropolis. "Hey, that's Asuka City!"   
  
"That's right Suzie," replied Henry. "We were in there, remember?"   
  
Takato pointed to the south exit. "...And that's the Asuka gate!"   
  
The copter reached the skies above a deep blue sea. The waves crashed onto the beach, and washed up a frothy foam onto the sand. Below, the appropriately whale-like Whamon emerged on the water's surface. He blew a spout of water into the air. Several more minutes passed by and the Tamers spotted a school of Gomamon swimming along the surface. They were headed northwards to the icy, mountainous Genbu Continent in the distance.   
  
A mass of dry, parched land began to close in. They were close to the sandy and rocky Byakko Continent. Most of this place was miles upon miles of trackless desert. The sun seemed to beat down on the land for eternity. It was a barren no man's land and only the hardiest of players would venture out to these parts. Though the Tamers were inside the copter, they could feel the heat second hand. However, the rescue team would soon face more pressing concerns...   
  
Below, a humvee was parked in a place hidden from the view of the rescue team. A soldier in khaki fatigues looked at the jet copter through his binoculars. He identified it as being an enemy unit, and radioed orders for his Digimon to attack. The Digimon promptly transformed into a huge, biped, mechanical dragon with cannons mounted on his back. This Digimon, Machinedramon, took aim and unleashed volley after volley of yellow energy.   
  
The copter shook as one of the blasts cut a hole into its right side. "Evasive manoeuvres!" ordered Akira.   
  
Henry nearly fell into the hole, but Akira rushed back and helped the others pull him to safety. "Are you ok, Henwy?" asked Suzie.   
  
"I'm fine," replied Henry. "That was too close!"   
  
"Move closer to the front! I don't want..." A SAM interrupted Akira's directions and hit the copter, causing it to tilt rightwards. He lost his footing and knocked Suzie and Lopmon outside accidentally.   
  
"HENWWWWY!" screamed Suzie as she disappeared towards the ground below.   
  
"SUZIIIIIIIE!" cried Henry in anguish.   
  
He was about to jump out after her, but Takato stopped him. "No Henry! Don't be stupid!" chastised Takato.   
  
Akira had problems of his own. Lillith was desperately trying to keep him from falling out. "Hold on!" she cried.   
  
"We've got you! Don't let go!" cried Darkfryer. However, a second wave of energy rocked the copter, causing Akira to drag his Digimon out with him. Henry reached for him, but his fingers slipped.   
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" screamed Akira and his Digimon plummeted to the ground below.   
  
"Get away from there!" called Esmeralda to the back. "We've already lost too many people. I don't want anyone else to be lost!" The Tamers complied without further argument.   
  
"What are we going to do now?" asked Jeri.   
  
"Momentai!" said Terriermon.   
  
"You're kidding?" asked Rika rhetorically.   
  
"I'm going to take our ship down onto the desert! Hold on tight!" cried Esmeralda.   
  
The copter hit a dune of sand, bumping everyone within around. It skidded across the surface of the desert before finally coming to a complete stop. Everyone began to clean the sand out of their clothes, but fortunately, no one had been injured from the attack. They scanned their surroundings, but found only grooves in the sand from the crash. Nothing of note was outside except the monotonous desert, which stretched as far as their eyes could see. Henry was rather depressed about losing Suzie in the attack.   
  
Henry gazed sadly at the desert behind the copter. "Suzie..." he mumbled.   
  
Jeri looked on, unsure of how to help Henry. "Henry..."   
  
Renamon looked upon Henry pensively. "Leave Henry alone for awhile," said Renamon to Jeri.   
  
In the copter, Esmeralda fiddled with the damaged instruments as Amar, Takato and Guilmon looked on. "We're in Mobius Desert. We're far to the south of the Dum Dum Factory. The copter's out of commission. It won't fly again."   
  
Takato groaned. "Oh great! What about the radio?"   
  
Esmeralda fiddled with the radio's controls. "It's no good. It was damaged in the attack. Even if it wasn't, we're out of range anyways."   
  
"Is there anywhere we can go?" asked Guilmon.   
  
"The nearest place is Mirage Tower, which is a day's travel west of here. Byakko Town is also nearby, but it's much further. It's northwest of here."   
  
"Looks like we're going to the tower," noted Takato.   
  
"Yeah," agreed Esmeralda. "Get the others and salvage anything of use. Takato, Amar, take the radio out of copter. We might need it later on."   
  
Esmeralda laid out the plan to the other Tamers. They began scouring the area picking up anything that might be of use. Esmeralda plugged her Browser into the copter's computer and downloaded the coordinates of Mirage Tower and Byakko City. Takato and Amar detached the radio from the copter and tucked it into a spare backpack. The other Tamers and Digimon collected some spare rations.   
  
"Can I have something to eat?" asked Guilmon.   
  
"Sorry. We may need to live on this for awhile so no snacking," replied Esmeralda.   
  
"Ah, pretty please?" asked Guilmon.   
  
"Esmeralda is right. No snacking, we have to save our food," said Takato.   
  
The squad finished gathering provisions and activated their exoskeletons for protection. They set out for Mirage Tower, but the monotony of the desert made it seem as though they were making no progress. The desert was hot but fortunately, the exoskeletons were climate controlled. Only the ruins of unknown metal structures and the occasional windmill broke the monotony. The windmills were the same ones that gathered wind power in the Central Park. Amar and Guilmon had no problem with the heat as they were Digimon of fire. The other Digimon however, weren't as lucky.   
  
Terriermon began fanning himself. "Oh geez Henry, why do you get a suit when I have to stay in this heat?"   
  
"That's because the suit only fits humans," replied Henry.   
  
"Maybe not for Guilmon and Amar, but could they at least for make one for me?"   
  
Renamon feigned a cough. "Ahem."   
  
"...And Renamon too," continued Terriermon.   
  
"Well, I don't think you could wear a belt very well, Terriermon," replied Esmeralda. "The suit would have to be custom made to fit each Digimon. It's just too expensive."   
  
Terriermon sighed. "Oh great. Military cut backs..."   
  
"Just stay on my shoulder," said Henry. "If you don't move around, it won't be so hot." 


	6. Cherubimon's Retaliation

Nameless person:   
I'm Canadian and we have a lot of problems with spelling. Canada was originally a British colony, so we should be using British spellings. However, our closeness to the US causes us to use US spellings for some words and British for others. It's a big problem.   
  
By the way, a SAM is a Surface to Air Missile.   
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6: Cherubimon's Retaliation   
  
  
  
  
  
"AAAAHHHHH!" screamed Suzie and Lopmon in terror.   
  
Both Tamer and Digimon were in a dangerous free fall to the ground. The jet copter's chassis was scorched black from enemy fire. Suzie could hear a rapidly approaching swoosh, followed by a deafening explosion. When it was over, Suzie could see three more people fall out of the copter. Several yellow energy blasts struck the copter, shaking the passengers within. It was descending at a dangerously fast pace into the distant desert.   
  
Suzie and Lopmon caught a lucky break for once. They fell into what turned out to be a body of water. Suzie swam up to the surface and popped her head out of the water, followed by Lopmon. She looked around and found herself in the middle of what looked like a basin. A massive faucet hung high above the surface of the water. Suzie recognized this place as being a sink like the ones in her apartment, only this one was big enough for giants to use. The sink was surrounded by palm trees, and there was a fenced catwalk way built onto the side.   
  
"Is anybody up there?" called Suzie.   
  
The face of a cat peered over the edge. "How did you get down there?" she asked. "Wait a sec." The cat disappeared briefly before lowering a rope into the water.   
  
Suzie and Lopmon climbed up. "Lillith, I'm happy to see you!" exclaimed Suzie, until she remarked the cat's white fur. "When did you get white fur?"   
  
"Who's Lillith?" asked the cat. "I'm Gatomon. I run the local inn here in Pelche Oasis. I always have white fur."   
  
"She's the regular kind of Gatomon, which has white fur. Lillith's actually a Black Gatomon and has black fur," noted Lopmon.   
  
"Who are you two, and how did you get into the water?" asked Gatomon.   
  
"I'm Suzie and this is Lopmon. We were in this helicopter and these bad people shot us and we fell out," replied Suzie.   
  
"So it looks like you're lost," mumbled Gatomon. "Like I said, you're in Pelche Oasis. I run the inn here."   
  
"Henwy will be worried. We have to find him!" said Suzie.   
  
"Suzie, we don't know our way around the desert," warned Lopmon. "We shouldn't go wandering or we'll get lost. It's better that we stay here and let our friends find us."   
  
"Why don't you stay at my inn while you wait?" asked Gatomon. "Do you have any money?"   
  
"No," replied Suzie sadly.   
  
"Hmmm... Tell you what. I'll let you stay here for free until your friends find you. How about that?" offered Gatomon.   
  
"Really? You're such a nice kitty!"   
  
Gatomon led Suzie and Lopmon through a nearby door and down a flight of stairs. At the bottom was an underground lobby. A fireplace was at the right, and there was a bear skin rug and two sofas near it. The walls were made of wood and covered with a coat of gloss. Across the room was a wooden reception desk with a door to the right. The desk was very small compared to Suzie's large height and was clearly meant for use by Gatomon.   
  
Gatomon handed Suzie the keys to her room. "Here are the keys to room four. It's the fourth door on right in the next hallway."   
  
"Thank you! Okay Lopmon, let's see our room!" said Suzie cheerfully.   
  
Suzie found her room without any problems and stepped inside to see a cozy place. The bed had smooth white sheets, a fluffy pillow, and felt nice and soft to the touch. There was a cabinet with a rich brown finish meant for storing clothes. Suzie only had the clothes on her back, so it was of little use to her. Beside the entry door was a desk for studying and reading. The bathroom had everything necessary for good hygiene, including a sink, bathtub, and toilet. Suzie treated the whole situation as though she was on a big vacation by herself.   
  
Eventually, she took a rest on her bed, and felt a deep sense of emptiness. "Henwy, where are you?"   
  
"Cheer up, Suzie," said Lopmon comfortingly. "I'm sure the others are looking for us right now."   
  
"I hope so too. I'm so lonely."   
  
Suzie rested for over an hour, unaware of a humvee approaching Pelche Oasis. A pair of Digimon materialized on the sand. The first was a tyrannosaur with black skin, and red markings that almost looked like slash marks. This Digimon was the Champion level Dark Tyrannomon. The second was also a tyrannosaur, but had grey skin. Tubes ran over this Digimon's body, and led into cybernetic implants. This Digimon was Metal Tyrannomon, a possible Ultimate form of Dark Tyrannomon.   
  
After their Digimon secured the area, the driver and his passenger got out of their vehicle. They were a pair of men dressed in khaki military uniforms. They were an intimidating pair of men with an assault rifle slung over their shoulder. They were very intent on finding something. They entered the inn's lobby and scanned around, but failed to see their quarry. The driver bent down and loudly rang the bell on the front desk several times.   
  
"We want to talk to you, get in here!" he demanded.   
  
A different Gatomon walked out of the door. "What's the matter?"   
  
"We're here to ask about a little girl who came this way," replied the soldier. "She's about six or seven years old and of Asian descent."   
  
The Gatomon owner spotted the soldiers through an opening in the door, and ran to Suzie's room in haste. "Suzie! There are soldiers looking for you in the lobby!"   
  
Suzie bolted upright. "The bad people found me! We have to run!"   
  
"Quick! Follow me! I know a way out of here."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Meanwhile, Akira fell onto the peak of a sand dune in Noise Desert. He tumbled downward painfully and sand got into his clothes. "Ow! I never knew hitting a dune of sand could hurt so much..." Akira began to rub his injured back.   
  
A pair of screams approached the ground before the impact silenced them. "I thought sand was supposed to be soft!" grumbled Darkfryer.   
  
Akira checked up on the condition of his Digimon. "You two okay?"   
  
Lillith leapt onto Akira's body and began to nuzzle him. "I'm fine, darling!"   
  
"I'm glad that you're okay..." said Akira uncomfortably.   
  
"Where are we?" asked Darkfryer.   
  
Akira pulled out his Browser and cross checked his location. "We're somewhere in the middle of Noise Desert, east of Byakko City."   
  
"Where do we go now?" asked Lillith.   
  
Akira pulled up a map of the region on his Browser. "Well, according to this map, the nearest places are Byakko City, Pelche Oasis, and the Dum Dum Factory."   
  
"How about the oasis?" asked Darkfryer. "We could get some rest there before heading out to the factory."   
  
"Sounds like a plan," remarked Akira. "Let's do it!"   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Gatomon pushed a secret door open, and everyone stepped out. They found themselves at the side of a mountain at the edge of some badlands. Pelche Oasis was a short distance behind them, and they could see two Digimon occupying the area. They were huge tyrannosaurs, and looked very mean with their sharp, jagged teeth. From the way they behaved, they were on lookout for something or someone.   
  
"Where do we go now?" asked Suzie with concern.   
  
"Go to the Dum Dum Factory up north," answered Gatomon. "The Digimon there might be able to help you." Gatomon pointed towards a pathway through a valley a few metres from their current position.   
  
"Thank you, but will you be safe with those bad people here?"   
  
"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. You just get to the factory."   
  
"Thank you Gatomon!"   
  
"Stay safe!" said Lopmon.   
  
"Take care!" called Gatomon.   
  
Suzie remembered what the Guard Tamers told her to do when she was in the out in the field. She flicked on her exoskeleton as protection should she be attacked by enemies. Lopmon and Suzie walked down the pathway for at least an hour. Everywhere they turned, there was only rock and nothing more. They began to wonder if they were making any progress at all. They proceeded down a narrow pathway flanked on both sides by rock formations.   
  
Lopmon suddenly sensed danger approaching. "Suzie, watch out!"   
  
Lopmon tackled Suzie out of the path of a beam of energy. It blew down part of the side wall and initiated an avalanche. The two cleared the area safely, but found their way forward had been blocked. A Digimon descended from above and behind, and trapped Suzie and Lopmon in the middle. This offending Digimon was a black, bat-like demon with a single yellow eye on its face. It opened its talons to reveal a single eye on both of its palms. The grotesque Digimon, Deathmon, was intent on stopping their advance.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Deathmon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Mega   
Element: Darkness   
  
Deathmon is a powerful demon lord mutated by the dark energy he wields. His eyes are not just for seeing, but are also his greatest weapons.   
  
Attacks:   
Death Arrow - Deathmon's palm eyes can shoot violet, arrow-shaped bolts of piercing negative energy.   
  
Explosion Eye - Deathmon's central eye is an emitter of powerful beams of energy. Once a beam strikes an object, it results in a devastating explosion.   
  
_** "That Digimon looks very dangerous," remarked Suzie.   
  
Lopmon stepped forward in defence of her Tamer. "Don't worry Suzie! I'll get him!"   
  
Suzie pulled out a card and slashed it through her D-Power. "Digimodify! Digivolution activate!"   
  
Immediately, Lopmon felt a surge of power coursing through her body. "Lopmon, Digivolve to... Turuiemon!"   
  
In a flash of light, Lopmon was replaced by her Champion form, Turuiemon. She launched herself at Deathmon with a katar ready to strike. Deathmon caught her wrist and smashed her with his free hand. The blow was so powerful that it launched Turuiemon back into the rock pile. Suzie was shocked at how powerful Deathmon was. He didn't even use a special attack, and Turuiemon was already down. Suzie was dearly concerned for the welfare of her best friend.   
  
"Bah, too easy," grumbled Deathmon.   
  
Turuiemon got up, not willing to give up so soon. "I need to become Antylamon to fight this Digimon."   
  
Suzie nodded and slashed a card she received from Ryo Akiyama as a gift. "Digimodify! Radiant Faith activate!"   
  
A new, even greater power surged through Turuiemon's body. "Turuiemon, Matrix Digivolve to... Antylamon!"   
  
In a flash of golden light, Turuiemon ascended to her Ultimate form of Antylamon. Like her previous form, Lopmon, Antylamon was a rabbit with chocolate fur. She was huge in height, and many times taller than Lopmon ever was. She wore white armour with gold trimmings as a form of chest protection, and a pair of baggy violet pants. Her long arms stretched all the way to her knees, giving her a great reach advantage in a melee situation. She would need it to take on a powerful foe like Deathmon.   
  
Antylamon's hands changed into the blades of an axe as she activated her Bunny Blades ability. She charged at Deathmon, slashing and twirling in a deadly dance. Deathmon attempted to block the attacks, but Antylamon was much stronger than Turuiemon ever was. He was forced to give ground for the first time in this battle. A missed slash struck a stone formation, cleaving a massive groove into the rock. One slash managed to penetrate his defence, bumping him backwards with minimal damage. Deathmon decided to fly away to set up for a counter attack.   
  
Antylamon attempted to cut off the retreat, but Deathmon evaded and made it to safety in the air. Antylamon was now at a tactical disadvantage. His eye glowed amber as he charged up energy for an Explosion Eye attack. She moved her blades to shield her body, and braced for the inevitable impact. A beam of amber energy streamed forth and exploded upon striking Antylamon. It overpowered her despite her best efforts, and caused her to revert back to being Lopmon.   
  
"Antylamon no!" cried Suzie, realizing the gravity of her situation.   
  
She held onto the injured Lopmon tightly to comfort her. Lopmon had suffered severe injuries and couldn't continue. Suzie remembered having a submachine gun. Out of desperation, she decided to fight back, and fired a seemingly endless hail of energy bullets at Deathmon. To her horror, the gun had no effect on the Demon Lord Digimon. He simply continued advancing, unfazed by Suzie's heroic gesture.   
  
He knocked the gun out of her hand, and shoved Suzie onto the ground. He aimed the eye on his palm directly at Suzie and Lopmon, and it cast a violet glow. Deathmon was ready to deliver the finishing blow. Normally, Suzie and Lopmon would be returned to a crypt elsewhere in the game world if they died. Unfortunately, this fail-safe didn't apply to them. They didn't count as players since they didn't use the Online Centre to enter the game. Upon remembering this, Suzie was terrified and began crying.   
  
"You win! You win!" said Suzie between sobs. "Leave us alone!"   
  
"I would, but you are an enemy of the AoA, and must be eliminated!" said Deathmon. Do you two have any last words?"   
  
"Suzie, before we die, I want you to know that you're the best friend I ever had," confessed Lopmon. "I'm glad we were together until the very end!"   
  
"How touching," said Deathmon sarcastically. "I suppose you have some last words too, little girl?"   
  
"Lopmon you're my best friend too!" said Suzie.   
  
In response to their admission of friendship, Suzie and Lopmon's body shined with golden light. "Biomerge activate!"   
  
Suzie shut her eyes as the Digivolutionary energy vaporized her clothes and joined her with Lopmon. "Lopmon, Biomerge to..."   
  
Lightning from dark storm clouds overhead bombarded the land. A heavenly light pierced the clouds, and cast a circle of gold on the ground. The thunder and lightning suddenly stopped, and a celestial creature descended from the heavens. Her body was surrounded by an aura of warm pink light. This celestial creature was a rabbit with fur as pink as cotton candy.   
  
Around her neck was a shawl with jutting points like that of jester's. The rings of gold on her ears shined with divine brilliance in the sunlight. She touched down on the ground and summoned the power of the storm. At the call of their mistress, bolts of lightning lit the darkness. One struck her hand and formed a makeshift spear. As her final act, she raised her spear upwards in a triumphant stance.   
  
"Cherubimon!"   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Cherbuimon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Element: Holy/Lightning   
  
Cherubimon, Ophanimon, and Seraphimon, make up the trinity of angelic Megas. She uses her holy and lightning powers to smite the followers of evil.   
  
Attacks:   
Holy Hug - Cherubimon entraps a foe within a halo of golden light. This attack is versatile, being able to incapacitate or destroy the victim.   
  
Lightning Spear - Cherubimon calls forth a lightning bolt with this ability. It is used much like a spear or javelin.   
  
Storm of Judgement - Cherubimon raises her hands to the heavens and calls upon a storm to bombard an area.   
  
_** Suzie opened her eyes to gaze upon the world as Cherubimon. "I'm a giant bunny now?"   
  
"We became one together!" proclaimed Lopmon's voice.   
  
Deathmon fired an Explosion Eye, which Cherubimon leapt over. "You missed me! Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!" mocked Suzie, as Cherubimon began making faces at her foe.   
  
He was infuriated and began to fire several Death Arrows at Cherubimon. With several booms, each attack exploded behind her as she bounced off the rock formations. She made her first attack in the form of a thrown Lightning Spear. The air crackled as the electricity stunned Deathmon. Once he recovered, he countered with an Explosion Eye. Cherubimon deflected the attack, and with a hand gesture, she trapped her foe in the Holy Hug. Cherubimon raised her hands to the heavens and invoked the Storm of Judgement.   
  
"GAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Deathmon, as repeated lightning strikes electrocuted him.   
  
"Yea! We won!" cheered Suzie. In a soft golden glow, Cherubimon separated into Suzie and Lopmon.   
  
Lopmon pointed to the location of the pile of rocks. "Hey look! Our fight blew down the rock pile!"   
  
Suzie was elated at this lucky turn of events. "We can go to the Dum Dum Factory now!"   
  
After Suzie retrieved her gun, she heard an unknown voice. "Suzie!"   
  
Suzie and Lopmon looked into the air and found the source of the voice. It was Akira! He was seated on top of a grotesque looking Digimon made of the parts of other Digimon. The Digimon head was covered by a chitinous helmet like that of a beetle. Its orange torso was like a tyrannosaur's, and had blue markings. Its icy white legs were that of a wolf Digimon. Two of its arms came from a devil, another was a skeletal tyrannosaur arm, and the last was from an insect. It had a long grey dinosaur tail, a pair of dove's wings, and a pair of torn, bat-like wings.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Chimeramon   
Type: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Element: Darkness   
  
Chimeramon is a genetically engineered Digimon made from parts of other Digimon. He is among the most powerful Ultimates, and can reduce a city to rubble in mere minutes.   
  
Attacks:   
Heat Viper - Chimeramon can exhale gouts of green plasma from his mouth. This attack is so hot that metal instantly melts upon contact.   
  
Hybrid Arms - Chimeramon's touch can deliver a corrupting burst of negative energy to the victim, like Devimon's Touch of Evil. He can also slash with his claws, like Kuwagamon's Scissor Claw.   
  
_** "Akira!" responded Suzie and Lopmon in kind.   
  
"What happened?" asked Akira. "I saw explosions over here and came to check it out. I'm glad you're alright."   
  
"We're fine, Akiwa!" replied Suzie. "We got into a fight with Deathmon, and we Biomerged to Cherubimon and beat him!"   
  
"You did? Wow! Only good Tamers or ones with Megas can take on a Mega like Deathmon and beat him," exclaimed Akira. "I'm impressed!"   
  
Suzie felt humbled by Akira's praise. "Ah, thank you Akiwa."   
  
"Climb on. We should go to the Dum Dum Factory right away," suggested the Chimeramon. "That Deathmon might be an enemy agent. He might have warned his buddies about us."   
  
"Who's he?" asked Suzie.   
  
"That's Darkfryer," replied Lillith.   
  
"You're Darkfwyer?" asked Suzie in disbelief. "What a change!"   
  
"Yeah, we have to hurry so climb on," urged Darkfryer. Suzie and Lopmon did as they were told.   
  
"Akira, that reminds me, I heard Deathmon say that he was a member of the AoA," informed Lopmon.   
  
"AoA? So that Deathmon is an enemy agent," said Akira pensively. "It also seems the enemy is working under a new name."   
  
"They didn't attack the Dum Dum Factory did they?" asked Lillith.   
  
"I hope not," replied Akira.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The group came upon a statue of a Hagurumon. It was in the middle of a courtyard with metal plates covering the ground. The courtyard led to a metal building with square windows. On the top of the building was an exhaust stack from which a thick grey smoke billowed out. It seemed that the industrious Digimon within were working hard to create equipment for the game players. There were no signs of AoA troopers being in the area.   
  
The Hagurumon receptionist showed the group to the foreman, who was also a Hagurumon. "We're Guard Tamers. We're here to escort Mizuno back to base," announced Akira.   
  
"I'm glad you're here, there were some army guys here asking to search the place," replied the foreman. "They called themselves the 'Associates of Anarchy.'"   
  
"Are the bad people still here?" asked Suzie.   
  
"Fortunately, no, but they've been lurking in Byakko Continent's deserts for a few days now. We heard rumours that they control Byakko City. We sent Mizuno to the Legendary Gym up north in Genbu Continent for safety."   
  
"Oh great," grumbled Akira. "How do we get there?"   
  
"We have a dock that connects to the sewer down below. One of our workers took Mizuno there in our submarine. You can use it if you want."   
  
"Thanks," said Akira.   
  
"What about Henwy and the others?" asked Suzie.   
  
"I'm afraid we have to leave them for now," said Akira.   
  
Suzie was very upset at hearing that. "I wanna find Henwy now! We can't leave him here with all the bad people around!"   
  
Akira decided to try to talk her out of it calmly. "I want to find the others as much as you do, Suzie, but it's too dangerous for just the five of us. I'm sure Henry and his friends are good Tamers, and Esmeralda is with them. They'll be fine." Suzie was still unconvinced. "We need you and Lopmon to help us if the AoA decides to show up at the Gym. Please?"   
  
Suzie was surprised that Akira was asking for her help. She took a brief moment to consider his request. "Okay Akiwa, Lopmon and I will help you!"   
  
"Thank you, Suzie."   
  
The foreman showed them to a small vehicle floated on the water by the dock. It was a sleek, almost bullet-shaped metal vehicle with a coat of dark blue paint. At its rear was a set of propellers which propelled the sub through the water. The foreman taught Akira how to control the sub, before he left it in the group's care. With the flick of a switch, the engine hummed softly and the propellers began to swoosh lightly against the water. They were on their way north to the Legendary Gym.   
  
"You really wanted to find Henry," noted Akira. "Tell me a little about him."   
  
"Henwy? I really want to help him beat the bad guys, but he never lets me do anything," replied Suzie.   
  
"Henry just cares about you that's all," said Akira. "He's your brother so he feels he needs to protect you."   
  
"I know, but I wish he would let me fight. I'm a Digimon Tamer too!" Suzie held out her Digivice. "See?"   
  
"Yeah, I see. You handled Deathmon really well. Maybe Henry will be more easygoing now that you can go to Mega. Did I say Deathmon was a tough opponent?"   
  
"Yep."   
  
As the sub travelled through the sea, Suzie looked out the window. She was enthralled by the beauty of the undersea world. The sub passed a bed of stony pink coral. Suzie remarked how much they reminded her of leafless undersea trees. A school of dolphin Digimon passed alongside the sub. After an uneventful trip, the sub entered an underwater cavern before emerging in the icy waters of an arctic lake.   
  
Behind the dock was the maw of a stone dragon built into the side of a mountain. The door to the Legendary Gym was right in the throat of the dragon. Upon entering, the group took in the sights around them. A Biyomon breathed a Spiral Twister and scored a direct hit on a practice dummy. A monkey Digimon, Etemon, threw a flurry of punches at a large, cylindrical punching bag. He followed with a cleanly executed side kick, and his trainer coaxed him to keep improving his technique.   
  
The group passed by another pair of Etemon sparring on a set on mats. The Etemon's Tamer cheered as his partner caught a punch and reversed it into a throw. The gym owner walked up to greet them. He was a biped, dragon-like Digimon with blue scales. He was in a suit of spiky golden armour that glittered in the light. He looked quite noble and experienced in the ways of combat. Akira didn't recognize this Digimon as it was an Armour Digimon, which were extraordinarily rare back in his Digital World.   
  
The Digimon shook everyone's hands. "Hello, I'm Magnamon, the owner of the Legendary Gym."   
  
Everyone introduced themselves. "I'm Commander Akira Violet of the Black Sword Guard Team. We're here to meet a Goro Mizuno."   
  
"Ah, yes. He said that some people were coming by to pick him up. Follow me." Magnamon led the group to a room in the back.   
  
Shibumi was there, watching Datamon practicing his moves. "Akira! What a relief to see you! I hope I didn't worry you too much."   
  
"Nah, no problem. I'm glad to see that you're in good health Mr. Mizuno," said Akira.   
  
"Hey, no need for formality. Just call me Shibumi like my friends do. Anyways, I'm sorry that I wasn't at the Dum Dum Factory. The AoA was onto me and I had to escape. Where are the others?"   
  
"It's a long stowy," replied Suzie. She began to tell Shibumi everything that happened up until this point.   
  
Shibumi stroked his chin pensively. "This isn't good. It's dangerous out there with all those AoA patrols in the deserts. They have Byakko City, so there's very few places for them to hide."   
  
"We can now start looking for your brother," declared Akira, to Suzie's content. "...But we need to return to base first can call for some help. Don't worry Suzie, we'll find them."   
  
"I hope Henwy and Terwiermon are alright," said Suzie wistfully. 


	7. The Fall of Asuka

Vashkoda:   
I'm curious to know what your next story will be. Are you going to continue the Aftermath series, or will you do something else?   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7: The Fall of Asuka   
  
  
  
  
  
In the bustling metropolis of Asuka City, Digimon Online players were perusing the shops in search of great deals on items and equipment. Rika's grandmother, Seiko Hata, was one of these shoppers. She was unlike a typical grandmother, being far more technically inclined and up to date on technological matters. Indeed, Digimon Online didn't seem like a game for people of her demographic, but despite that, many seniors played the game like she did. It really helped her stay in shape and surprisingly, the results transferred over to the Real World.   
  
Seiko had accumulated more than three months of playing time, and had experienced much. Her partner had grown considerably, learning new offensive and support abilities. Snow Agumon had achieved Champion level; Frigimon. In this form, he resembled a rotund snowman with a teddy bear-like head, and coal-like eyes. These traits earned him the nickname "Frosty," after the famous snowman of the Christmas carol. Snow Agumon had unlocked two other Champion forms as well; Seadramon and Airdramon. However, he decided to advance his Frigimon form as it was easier to develop.   
  
Recently, Snow Agumon had reached Ultimate as well, becoming Ice Leomon in the process. He looked much like Jeri's Leomon in this form; a half lion, half man warrior. Unlike Leomon, Ice Leomon's fur was a cold, snowy white colour. He was also more powerful than Leomon ever was. After some shopping, Seiko had equipped Ice Leomon with a second sword, thereby increasing his melee offensive power. He has also unlocked the Aero Veedramon and Mega Seadramon forms, but had not yet developed them.   
  
"So Frosty, are you up for some more adventures?" asked Seiko.   
  
"Sure! I'm raring to go!" he replied.   
  
The two friends walked down the street and passed by a different Tamer and his Agumon, Guilmon, and Bearmon. The Tamer stopped in front of a card store. "Wait here while I do some shopping, okay?"   
  
"Don't worry!" replied the Guilmon.   
  
"We're staying right here!" replied the Agumon.   
  
The Tamer entered a store and the three patiently waited outside. A strange, circular distortion appeared in the air, and the Bearmon peeked inside as though looking through a telescope. Out of curiosity, the Guilmon moved closer to take a look, nudging Bearmon out of the way. As he pulled his head back, the Agumon poked the distortion out of curiosity. It rippled as though a stone was thrown into a lake. They thought it was fascinating and pretty cool, but it didn't last long...   
  
The distortion rose, expanded into an eye, and then into the rest of a Digimon's head! The three were taken aback and gasped. The Digimon's head was massive and leering, with a maw filled with sharp, pointed teeth. Its body formed, and looked much like that of a scorpion with six long legs, and a tail with a pointed stinger. The Digimon, Armageddemon, was most displeased with the three's meddling, especially that poke to the eye. It opened its maw and gathered golden energy in preparation for a massive attack.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Armageddemon   
Type: Unknown   
Level: Mega   
Element: Darkness   
  
This scorpion-like Digimon is the physical incarnation of a destructive computer virus. One of his rampages through the Internet can mean the collapse of civilisation in the Real World.   
  
Attacks:   
Ultimate Flare - Armageddemon's mouth can fire devastating beams of golden energy.   
  
Black Rain - Armageddemon rains inky darkness upon an area. This gives new meaning to the phrase "death from above."   
  
_** At this point, the three Digimon were fleeing in terror. Armageddemon's body recoiled like a cannon as he released the energy as a beam. Upon impact, the massive explosion blew the three Digimon into the air. It didn't take long for the players and citizens to realize the city of Asuka was under attack. Elsewhere, a grin crept onto the face of a Beelzemon. He raced to the site of a battle, riding his motorcycle down the cobblestone streets of Asuka City.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Back in the sub, Shibumi and Akira were frantically trying to reach HQ. "This is Commander Akira Violet calling HQ. Do you copy?"   
  
All they got was a bunch of static, which puzzled Shibumi. "Why aren't they responding?"   
  
"I've got a vewy bad feeling..." commented Suzie.   
  
Akira tried again, before getting a garbled message. "Yes... we copy... attack... reinforcements... return..."   
  
"Sound like the base is being attacked!" noted Lopmon.   
  
"Yeah, we'd better get back ASAP!" said Akira.   
  
The sub swished through the waters of Divermon's Lake, passing many Divermon swimming within the lake's depths. The Divermon were biped fish men equipped with scuba gear and harpoons. They were diminutive Digimon, being only as tall as the average human toddler. As the sub emerged by a pier on the west shore, the sounds of gunshots became noticeable. On occasion, a deafening boom or two would rip through the air.   
  
"Let's go!" cried Akira.   
  
"Black Gatomon, Digivolve to... Lady Devimon!"   
  
Lillith had Digivolved into a demoness that radiated a dark beauty. Unlike normal Lady Devimon, she had a human left arm, and did not wear a mask. She was a comely woman with a grey skin, and long, silky white hair. Her red eyes were the feature that set her apart from normal woman the most. She wore black boots and a tight fitting black leather cat suit with a skull emblem on the right breast, and the Black Sword insignia on the left.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Lady Devimon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Element: Darkness   
  
Lady Devimon is a seductive demoness who enjoys consorting with male humans, and sometimes female humans. She is an agile Digimon who uses negative energy as her chief weapon.   
  
Attacks:   
Darkness Wave - This swarm of orange bats are created from negative energy. They fly at a victim and nip away at his or her energy.   
  
_** Lillith wrapped her arms around Akira. "Don't worry, I'll hold onto you tight!" she said seductively.   
  
"Oh, I'm sure you will..." replied Akira meekly.   
  
"Lillith really cares about his Tamer..." muttered Suzie innocently.   
  
"Uh, yeah..." said Lopmon nonchalantly.   
  
Lopmon and Darkfryer Digivolved and carried the others to battle. Each of the humans activated their exoskeleton, knowing that they were heading to a major firefight. As they proceeded deeper into Protocol Forest, the gunshots and explosions grew louder. More and more of the ground was dotted by blast marks. Eventually, they found Pharaohmon directing his royal guard. His troops were engaging an unknown enemy force.   
  
"Pharaohmon!" called Akira.   
  
The noble Digimon turned around. He was glad to see everyone in good health. "Akira! Shibumi! You're all safe and sound!"   
  
"That's right. How is the battle going?" asked Shibumi.   
  
"Not too good," replied Pharaohmon. "We're barely able to hold the enemy back. That damn Suijinmon keeps shelling us! We can't gain any ground with that guy around!"   
  
"Not them again!" noted Shibumi, in reference to the AoA.   
  
"So you want us to get rid of him?" asked Lopmon.   
  
"Yeah… Once he goes down or is routed, we'll be able to drive the enemy back," replied Pharaohmon. "He's a Mega level Digimon so he's very strong. He's fighting our front line at the west edge of the forest. Be careful out there!"   
  
Akira looked up Suijinmon with the Digimon Analyzer built into the exoskeleton. It came back with the picture of a robotic, centaur-like Digimon. Its body was constructed out of red Chrome Digizoid. It had cannons grafted onto its shoulders and biceps. The machine's cybernetic arms looked like the cloven feet of a horse or bull. Judging from its appearance, this Digimon had major firepower on its side.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Suijinmon   
Type: Data   
Level: Mega   
Element: Metal/Water   
  
This war machine was designed for amphibious combat. His larger cannons fire energy shots and his smaller ones shoot jets of pressurized water.   
  
Attacks:   
Giga Cannon - Suijinmon's shoulder cannons are an exact copy of Machinedramon's. They fire massive blasts of yellow energy.   
  
_** "Since he doesn't know about us yet, let's use this to our advantage. Once we find him, why don't you cook up a little distraction for our metal friend, Lillith?" asked Akira.   
  
"You got it Akira!" replied Lillith.   
  
"While he's busy with Lillith, send some Digital Bombs his way, Datamon. The rest of you, go to Mega and rush him!" commanded Akira.   
  
The squad made their way past the fighting, eventually spotting their target. Suijinmon was unaware of their presence. He was preoccupied with firing upon the unlucky Guard Tamer Digimon that drew his ire. Akira ordered the plan to be set into motion. Immediately, Lillith flew up to the war machine and sent a Darkness Wave into his face. That act elicited an abrupt, hostile reaction from Suijinmon.   
  
"Giga Cannon!" he cried.   
  
His cannons unleashed bursts of energy, which Lillith dodged with deft evasive manoeuvres. Lillith invoked her dark powers and tarred her opponent with a darkness that was much like molasses. As Suijinmon struggled to destroy the goo, Datamon saw this lapse of attention as his cue to strike. The Digital Bombs' explosions disrupted the war machine's equilibrium, and he was reeling. Suzie and Lopmon Biomerged into Cherubimon.   
  
Following their lead, Darkfryer did the same. "Chimeramon, Mega Digivolve to..."   
  
A swirling violet whirlwind surrounded Darkfryer, blowing the yellow Roman numerals of one to twelve in a circle. As the ethereal whirlwind spun ever faster, he grew into an even larger monstrosity. His skin blackened, and his wolf like legs turned navy blue. His arms became uniform in appearance, somewhat resembling the devilish arms of Devimon. The Roman numerals exploded, coalescing on his back as the spirit of a dragon with a pair of shoulder-mounted cannons. The cannons fired and levelled a city in a massive explosion. Darkfryer roared in triumph.   
  
"Millenniummon!"   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Millenniummon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Mega   
Element: Darkness   
  
Even the Guardians of the Digital World fear this Digimon's power over time and space. He has the potential to ascend to godhood and rival them in power.   
  
Attacks:   
Dimension Destroyer - These are converted Giga Cannons. They fire violet energy that causes explosive time-space ripples to occur.   
  
Time Unlimited - Millenniummon can form a dimensional bubble. He has control of time and space within this bubble, and can suck an outsider into it like a vacuum cleaner.   
  
Ultimate Fusion - By gathering energy, Millenniummon can release it from his body as a massive explosion of negative energy.   
  
_** In the span of a few seconds, Suijinmon had been struck by several lightning bolts from Storm of Judgement. He convulsed painfully as the electricity crackled and surged through his body. Darkfryer continued the pounding, scoring two Dimension Destroyer hits in a row. They toppled the titanic Suijinmon, with a final lightning bolt striking him for good measure. With the damage he had sustained, he requested an extraction. Suijinmon vanished in a flash of azure light, and the AoA fled the battle, giving the Guard Tamers the victory.   
  
"Yeah!" cheered Pharaohmon.   
  
"We won!" cried Cherubimon as she reverted to being Lopmon and Suzie.   
  
Shibumi remarked the extent of the damage the AoA had wrought. "They really did a number on this place, but they'll be back..."   
  
Indeed, each of the domes poured black smoke into the sky. Sections of them had been blown open, revealing the interior. Pharaohmon's ziggurat had blast marks all over its side too. It had been blown open by AoA bombardment. He was furious at the desecration of his temple. The greatest threat still hung over their heads; a possible secondary attack by AoA troops. This area would not be able to withstand another assault.   
  
Everyone held an emergency meeting to discuss their course of action. "We have no choice. The AoA are regrouping at Asuka City. We must move some away or else we won't survive!" declared Akira.   
  
Pharaohmon was reluctant to entertain this idea. "I can't just abandon my temple! Mizuno made it for me as a gift!"   
  
"Don't worry about your temple," replied Shibumi. "I can always make a new one for you after we get through this. Our lives are important right now."   
  
"Shibumi's right," added Lopmon. "There are many of them and few of us. They're just going to come back here with more Digimon and soldiers. We can't beat them all!"   
  
"Let them have this hollow victory," said Darkfryer. "We'll have our revenge later!"   
  
"What we really need is help," said Lillith, stating the obvious.   
  
Suzie was at a loss. "...But where will we get help? Henwy and his friends could help us, with all these bad people, how will we ever find them?"   
  
Colonel Jones interrupted the meeting. "Commander, we've found a wounded civilian and her Digimon in the forest. You might want to talk to them."   
  
"Okay Colonel, I'm on my way," replied Akira.   
  
Akira left the meeting and visited the hospice. The wounded civilian turned out to be a woman entering her senior years. She had greying brown hair, and her clothes were soiled with dirt from the ordeal. She had taken a gunshot wound to the shoulder. On the bed beside her was a Digimon that looked like a living snowman with an ursine head. The Digimon was less wounded, thanks to his fortitude, but still looked fairly beat up. The medics were giving both patients a thorough examination.   
  
"What's the situation?" asked Akira to the medic.   
  
"The woman will need to have her wound sutured," replied the medic. "Otherwise, she's okay. Her Digimon just needs rest and relaxation."   
  
The medic sprayed a soothing mist over the woman's wounded shoulder. "That feels nice," said the woman.   
  
"Don't overexert your shoulder, and it will be completely healed in a day," advised the medic.   
  
Akira gave his introduction. "Hello there, I'm Commander Akira Violet of the Black Sword Guard Team. I'd like to ask you some questions."   
  
"You're Akira Violet?" asked the woman incredulously. "Rika never mentioned anything about you being a young boy!"   
  
"Rika? Do you mean Rika Nonaka?" asked Akira.   
  
"Yeah. I'm Seiko Hata, Rika's grandmother."   
  
It was Akira's turn to be incredulous. "Really? It's such a small world..."   
  
"Where is Rika? What happened to her?"   
  
"I'm sorry, but she's been missing for quite awhile. We went on a mission to Byakko Continent where AoA soldiers shot down our vehicle. We were separated at that time. I was only able to find Henry's sister and Lopmon, but I'm positive she's still alive. I want to search for her, but the AoA is keeping me from getting anything done. So, how did you end up in the forest with that wound?"   
  
"I was running away from the AoA. They took over Asuka City, and nearly killed me and Frosty as we ran into the forest. I got hit and then all of a sudden, a shoot out started! I took cover and it wasn't until everything calmed down before you found us."   
  
"I see..." Akira paused a brief moment in thought before continuing. "Seems we've all had run-ins with AoA troops. I'm glad that you're alive. I have something to ask of you..."   
  
"What is it?"   
  
"Would you join us to fight the AoA? We're very short on troops here. After losing some of our troops coming here, and having others injured, we need all the help we can get. Your Digimon and skills as an Online Tamer would help bolster our ranks greatly."   
  
"I want to help but I don't know how I can. I want to find Rika but..."   
  
"Then join us! There is strength in numbers. Join us so that we can find Rika together."   
  
After a brief deliberation Seiko came to her conclusion. "You talked me into it, Akira! However, I'm just a game player. I'm not a soldier like you are."   
  
"That's okay. You can get basic training from one of our marines. It's your Online Tamer skills and knowledge that are most important. This battle will be won by Digimon and Tamers working side by side."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Meanwhile in Mobius Desert, the Tamers, Esmeralda, and their Digimon travelled westward in search of Mirage Tower. With the onset of night time, the sky began to darken and the stars became visible. The group set up camp in a beat up shelter designed for commuters awaiting a bus. They took out some rations and began to eat. They weren't much in the way of taste, but had all the nutrients the body needed for an entire day.   
  
"These have no taste. When can we get some bread and peanut butter, Takato?" asked Guilmon.   
  
"I don't know," replied Takato honestly. "It might be a long time before we get any decent food at all."   
  
"At least you won't go hungry, Guilmon," noted Amar. "These rations contain time released nutrients. You won't go hungry until late tomorrow."   
  
"Yeah, but they could improve the taste of them at least..." muttered Esmeralda.   
  
He glanced over at Henry, who was somewhat shaken up by Suzie's disappearance. "Where are you Suzie? It's not safe for you with those soldiers still out there," mumbled Henry.   
  
Jeri decided to try to cheer him up. "I'm sure she's alright. She's a Tamer and she has Lopmon with her to protect her." Henry remained silent.   
  
Renamon sat against the glass wall. She closed her eyes to have a light nap, when her ears suddenly bolted up. She heard something faint, but noticeable approaching. It sounded like rustling, as though sand was shifting around. As it moved closer, Renamon was able to hear the sound more clearly. She realized that the sound came from something tunnelling underneath the sand. It was approaching the shelter very rapidly.   
  
"Get out of here!" she cried.   
  
Suddenly, a metal drill burst out of the ground! Fortunately, everyone had fled to safety outside. The drill turned out to be connected to the head of a mole-like Digimon. In fact, it was his nose. He had a coat of purple and white fur. Like his nose, there were a trio of drills where his claws would be. He was Drimogemon, who smashed the remnants of the shelter. Two more burst out of the sand and a battle broke out between the groups.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Drimogemon   
Type: Data   
Level: Champion   
Element: Earth/Metal   
  
This mole Digimon loves tunnelling through the ground. His drill is made of fortified iron and constantly renews itself, even after prolonged digging.   
  
Attacks:   
Iron Drill Spin - Drimogemon's nose and paw drills can be launched as piercing missiles. In flight, they spin to add more kick to the hit.   
  
Mole's Claw - Drimogemon spins his paw drills as tries to gut an enemy.   
  
_** Guilmon landed the first blow, striking his Drimogemon with a Pyro Sphere. The attack's explosive force bowled the Mole Digimon over, and Guilmon followed by grappling and biting him. An Iron Drill Spin struck Terriermon in the chest and knocked him down momentarily. His opponent attempted to leap onto him in a finishing manoeuvre, but Terriermon rolled away at the last minute. Renamon dodged a Mole's Claw, and scored a quick uppercut on her opponent's jaw. She was ready to nail him once more before a voice interrupted the battle.   
  
"Stop!" it cried.   
  
The Drimogemon and the Tamers' Digimon stopped fighting. Amar, Esmeralda, and Jeri spotted several people and Digimon coming down a dune of sand. Each of the humans was dressed in loose fitting, concealing clothing. The leader pulled his mouth covering open to reveal the face of a handsome, tanned Persian teenager. He looked like a charismatic person who could easily exert influence over other people.   
  
His Digimon partner was Ponchomon. His appearance seemed very appropriate for this desert setting. His face was like that of cactus, similar to that of a Togemon's. He wore a tattered orange poncho, a pair of red boxing gloves with a metal band to add power to his punch. On his head was a large yellow sombrero with red designs. His poncho flapped in the wind as he floated in the air like a ghost.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Ponchomon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Armour   
Element: Nature   
  
This ghostly Digimon is a more common sight in deserts and other arid regions in the Digital World. This Digimon relies on his boxing skills to beat his opponents.   
  
Attacks:   
Tequila Knuckle - Ponchomon is a top notch boxer who can unleash a flurry of blows in under a second.   
  
Cactus Bat - This move is an extension of Tequila Knuckle. Ponchomon creates cacti, and then punches them into a foe as projectiles.   
  
_** "I'm sorry about my people attacking you. We thought you were AoA troopers entering our territory," said the leader.   
  
"Who are you?" asked Amar.   
  
"I'm the Byakko Leader, or rather; I WAS the Byakko Leader, until the AoA conquered my city. I retreated here with the citizens and we've been here fighting them ever since."   
  
"Who's the AoA?" asked Rika.   
  
"They're not exactly the type of people you'd want to meet. They're some sort of terrorist group that is conquering Asuka Server. I don't really know why though. Now, I'd like to know who you are."   
  
"We were here to rescue a man from the Dum Dum Factory. Our vehicle was shot out of the air, and we've been stranded here ever since. We're on our way to Mirage Tower to find shelter and return to base," replied Esmeralda.   
  
"So, it seems we have a common enemy," remarked Byakko Leader. "Coincidently, we come from Mirage Tower, so why don't you follow us there and be our guests?"   
  
After a brief deliberation, the group decided it would be best to follow Byakko Leader. After a few hours travel, they came upon a monolithic tower. It was a technological wonder with circuitry running along its concrete walls. Mirage Tower seemed so out of place in such a barren and desolate place as the desert. This tower offered relative safety from the AoA being so far south and out of the way.   
  
The interior of the tower was a bustling place. Byakko Leader gave the group a guided tour of his headquarters and of the Resistance movement. Most of the members were originally civilians and authorities from Byakko City. As Byakko Leader mentioned, they had been displaced by the AoA attack on his city. The rest of the people were random players who were unlucky enough to be caught out in the west during the AoA conquest. Byakko Leader invited them to join the Resistance and took them in.   
  
Mirage Tower was essentially a self contained city within its walls. It had multiple floors, each which had its own purpose. The former merchants of Byakko have relocated to the first floor, turning it into a mall or bazaar. The group passed by a Gargomon weapon smith's stall; a clean alcove with fine swords and guns on display. A Wizardmon owned the medicine shop, and the Tamers could hear a light bubbling from the back. His store had the pungent smell of the strange and exotic herbs used in his potions and pills.   
  
"There are so many people here!" remarked Jeri.   
  
"Yeah," replied Byakko Leader. "The AoA has driven everyone out of my city. Even worse is that our spies are telling us that they're invading other lands and cities as well."   
  
"Other lands?" asked Takato incredulously.   
  
"Yes," replied Byakko Leader. "They have heard word of an attack on Asuka City; the capital of this server."   
  
Esmeralda shocked at this piece of news. "No! Our base is near there! If the AoA find out about it..."   
  
"First we lose Akira and Suzie, Byakko City is in enemy hands, and now this..." muttered Amar.   
  
"What we need to do is to call our base and warn them!" stated Esmeralda.   
  
"We would send word to Asuka, except that the only radio that can reach that far is in Byakko City," informed Byakko Leader. "We'd have to retake the city in order to use it. By that time, Asuka might as well be in enemy hands, as will your base..."   
  
The Tamers didn't take it too well, and Takato had reached his limit. "I don't know about you guys, but frankly, I've had it with the AoA! It's time we paid them back for everything they've done. Byakko Leader, you've just got yourself a new member!"   
  
"Yeah! Count me in too!" said Esmeralda.   
  
"...And me too!" agreed Amar. The rest of the group agreed unanimously.   
  
"Then it's settled then. Go to the meeting hall on the second floor at three pm tomorrow. Be ready to go on a mission that day," said Byakko Leader.   
  
That night, the Tamers went to bed in special guest rooms that Byakko Leader had provided on the third floor. Jeri was unable to sleep, being anxious about everything that had happened. She got out of her bed, and wandered out of the room and down the hall. She eventually found the lounge, where Takato was busy painting something. Takato heard her entering and turned around.   
  
"Having trouble sleeping, Jeri?" asked Takato.   
  
"Yeah," she replied.   
  
"Same here. This is just like when we were fighting the D-Reaper. I was so worried about what happened to you..."   
  
"Takato, do you ever think about how the people you love?"   
  
"What do you mean?" asked Takato. He began to blush, thinking Jeri was about to make a romantic move on him.   
  
"I've been thinking about what happened when we came here. Henry is devastated about losing Suzie. I'm worried about losing more people like Leomon and Suzie; people we really care about."   
  
"I see..." replied Takato, somewhat relieved but also disappointed. "I felt the same way. When Guilmon first Digivolved, he scared the pants off of me! It was like a part him disappeared once he Digivolved. I was afraid that our friendship was lost, but Rika and Henry told me that Guilmon was growing up, and that it was natural."   
  
"...But Suzie and Leomon didn't go away because they grew up. Someone took them away from us. I don't think I can bear it if someone took one of my friends away!"   
  
"I know how you feel Jeri, but listen to something I realized. When Alice gave us the power to Biomerge in the Real World, I saw the big picture. As Tamers, we are part of something more. It's not that we lose our friends if we fight. We fight because we want to keep our friends and loved ones alive, or else we'll keep losing our loved ones until no one is left."   
  
"I see what you mean, Takato." As she felt better, a smile formed on Jeri's face.   
  
Takato smiled. "I'm glad you feel better!"   
  
"Say, what's that you're making?" Jeri looked over at the white canvas on which Takato was painting.   
  
"Oh, this? It's a new Tamers flag. Once we take over Byakko City, I'm going to raise it high in the air to let the AoA know we won't be pushed around! There's me, Guilmon, and I'm working on Henry's face right now. I'm going to put in Byakko Leader's face on it as well."   
  
"It looks nice. I'm going back to bed. Good night Takato!"   
  
"Good night Jeri!" 


	8. Jeri's Confession

Digifan:   
Thanks for the review. I'm curious to know if you're still writing. I noticed that you only had two stories, but neither of them had been updated in awhile.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 8: Jeri's Confession   
  
  
  
  
  
As Byakko Leader told them, the Tamers attended the meeting at three pm sharp. The meeting was about team assignments for raids on AoA troops and patrols. The teams had been split so that Takato, Rika, Jeri, and their Digimon were with Byakko Leader's raiding team. Esmeralda, Henry, Amar, and Terriermon went with a group led by an Online Tamer named Haruka. This was done to balance out the power levels since only a handful of Online Tamers had Megas.   
  
This handful consisted of the hardcore, dedicated players. Not even Byakko Leader had a Mega. Unfortunately, this meant the Resistance had very few Megas in their own ranks; five in fact. Three of them were assigned to raiding duty, and the others were defence in case the AoA attack Mirage Tower. This left a few of the raiding parties without Megas to deploy against an enemy Mega. The enlistment of the Tamers was a great boon, adding four more Megas to the Resistance's ranks.   
  
Takato listened as Byakko Leader referenced each of their Megas. He noted three Digimon; Hercules Kabuterimon, Valkyriemon, and Murmuxmon. The former two were the Mega forms of Tentomon and Hawkmon; two Digimon belonging to the Digidestined. On the other hand, Murmuxmon was an unknown to Takato. Takato had not seen him in any Digimon material, and passed him off as a new Digimon made exclusively for Digimon Online.   
  
The night came quickly and the Resistance hit the dark desert of the night with the goal of capturing vehicles for the coup on Byakko City. It was extremely cold, but the Tamers' exoskeletons kept them warm. As they travelled, Amar looked around at each of the heavily clothed rebels. He wondered if most of the weight on them was from their clothing. They stopped at the foot of a sandy dune, and one of the rebels climbed up and scanned everywhere with binoculars. He saw nothing out of the ordinary until he noticed a cloud of sand.   
  
It seemed to be blown into the air by an unknown moving object. As it moved closer, it revealed itself to be multiple objects in the form of a convoy of humvees. Each of the humvees had been painted a sandy beige colour as a form of camouflage. These humvees were heavily armed. Each had a machinegun and a rocket launcher mounted on its roof. They also had a blue, dome shaped emitter on the roof, which was meant for releasing Digimon into the field.   
  
"We've got three AoA humvees moving our way!" cried the rebel.   
  
"Perfect! Okay guys, you can do whatever you want to the Digimon and the soldiers, but leave the humvees as intact as possible. They may be shielded, but continuous attacks can easily punch through, so go easy on them," requested Byakko Leader.   
  
"Ok!" answered Takato, Rika, and Jeri.   
  
"Good. When I give the word, you Digimon go to Champion and rush the humvees!" After a few moments of watching, the convoy entered attack range. "Now!"   
  
Each Digimon ascended to the Champion level, and charged at the humvees. Growlmon made the first move by spitting a Pyro Blaster at the rear right tire of one a vehicle. Upon impact, the explosion rocked the humvee, but didn't do any noticeable damage. The humvee had been protected by its invisible energy shield. The enemies' return fire irritated Growlmon's skin, holding him at bay. The AoA promptly released Digimon onto the field.   
  
The battle lines formed, with Kyubimon in combat against a Devimon. He resembled Ice Devimon, the Digimon who tried to tempt Rika into partnering with him. Unlike Ice Devimon, Devimon was black in colour. Despite that, both Digimon had the same malice-filled crimson eyes. Guilmon had denied Kyubimon her vengeance by killing Ice Devimon, but she decided to vent her frustration on Devimon instead. His appearance caused both Rika and Kyubimon great disgust, and served as a reminder of that unpleasant experience.   
  
The Kitsune Digimon extended her tails and at the end of them appeared nine flickering, ethereal blue flames. Each had the face of an evil spirit. They shot out at the devil, which dodged all but the last one. This flame had clipped his left wing. Kyubimon tackled Devimon onto the sand and began to gnaw his right arm painfully. It required a struggle before Devimon was able to connect with a Touch of Evil attack. The darkness sent pain coursing through Kyubimon's body, and she released her grip.   
  
She leapt back to safety. "Digimodify! Speed activate!" cried Rika as she slashed a card through her D-Power.   
  
A burst of speed accelerated Kyubimon's movements. Devimon lobbed a negative energy fireball. As it soared, it rumbled as it devoured ambient energy. This move was called "Dark Matter," a generic Darkness element ability of Online Digimon. Kyubimon dodged and the fireball sailed past her harmlessly. She rammed Devimon onto his back again, and roaring blue flames consumed her body as she somersaulted into the air. The Dragon Wheel's flaming dragon head burned Devimon to a crisp, leaving nothing behind but fragments of data.   
  
"Aim for the tires, don't let the humvees get away!" cried Byakko Leader.   
  
Takato, Rika, and Jeri's shots pitter-pattered against the shielded tires of a humvee. Sparks flew with each impact. The shielding failed and the tire hissed as air gushed out of it. The humvee's machine gun rained return fire, but the three ducked behind the safety of the dune. A rocket soared into the dune, and the explosion knocked the three onto the ground. Rika ended up straddling Takato from above. She was looking directly into Takato's face.   
  
Inside their helmets, Rika and Takato's faces turned beet red. "Uggh, get away from me Gogglehead!" Rika cried as she got up. Jeri watched the whole event with the curiosity of the cat.   
  
"Dragon Wheel!"   
  
The dragon head scorched the roof of the vehicle, detonating the missiles still in the launcher. A loud boom burst through the air, and a fiery explosion killed everyone within the cabin. Growlmon charged the second humvee, ignoring the irritation from the shots striking his body. The three frightened AoA soldiers bailed out moments before he toppled the humvee onto its side. The rebels surrounded the third humvee, which had also been toppled. The soldiers got out of the cabin and raised their arms in surrender.   
  
Byakko Leader glanced at each of the humvees. "A good haul today," commented Byakko Leader. "We almost have enough for the Byakko City campaign." He turned to a rebel, who was inspecting the humvee that Kyubimon had torched. "Can we salvage it?"   
  
"Yeah, the main chassis and engine are intact, but the cabin is out of commission. We'd need to make some serious repairs," replied the rebel.   
  
"Alright, haul these babies back and give them a good check up," ordered Byakko Leader.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
The Tamers continued to participate in raids for over a week. The Resistance had accumulated a sizeable cache of supplies and vehicles. Jeri gazed into the storeroom to see a pile of crates filled with rockets. Several generators were lined up in a row along the centre of the room. Each had several ammunition magazines plugged into it for recharging their energy reserves. Along the wall were racks filled with military equipment of all kinds, from automatic rifles to suits of combat armour.   
  
"Look at all those guns and missiles!" commented Jeri.   
  
"Yeah, we've captured a lot of stuff!" said Rika.   
  
"We'll need all of it if we hope to drive out the AoA from Byakko City," informed the Byakko Leader. "For now, let's have a little celebration."   
  
The Tamers feasted on turkey to commemorate the success of the raids. They had acquired all of the supplies needed for the Byakko City invasion. Terriermon wolfed down a plate filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, and corn, all topped off with a thick, rich gravy. Guilmon finally got bread and peanut butter, and he couldn't be anymore happier. It was his favourite, Guilmon bread, a loaf shaped just like his head.   
  
"Yeah! Guilmon bread, Guilmon bread; a loaf shaped just like my head!" chanted Guilmon joyfully as he held the bread in the air.   
  
"Oh man, how does he expect to fit in the humvee after eating all that food?" commented Terriermon. "Maybe Byakko Leader can make one extra large."   
  
"...And how much have you eaten, Terriermon?" asked Henry accusingly.   
  
"Oh, not much," replied Terriermon meekly. "One, two, three... twelve plates of food..."   
  
"Uhuh... I thought so."   
  
"Momentai, Henry! Byakko Leader can get us airlifted to the city!"   
  
"Yeah, just slap a sticker on you saying 'wide load.'" The Tamers and Digimon ate their fill.   
  
That night, Jeri and Rika were in their bed room. After gathering her courage, Jeri began a conversation with Rika. "Um, Takato is free you know," admitted Jeri. "He's not seeing me."   
  
Rika was surprised. "Huh? What do you mean?"   
  
"I only like him as a friend. If you want to be with him, that's fine by me."   
  
"Wait a minute. Are you suggesting that Takato and I are in love or something?"   
  
"Well yeah, wasn't there something between the two of you? I saw you with him back in the desert, and when we were in the Guard Tamer prison you..."   
  
Rika's eyes widened. "Hold on. What was I doing in the prison?"   
  
Jeri had been put on the spot. "Uh well..." Jeri finally caved in and told the story about what really happened in the Guard Tamer prison cell.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
"Are you alright, Rika?" asked Jeri.   
  
Rika had a huge, happy grin on her face that was very inappropriate for the situation they were in. "Never better!"   
  
"What did they do to you?"   
  
"My new friends?" asked Rika. "We had a nice long talk. They're such nice people!"   
  
Jeri came to the conclusion that Rika had been drugged and was in a highly suggestible state. Rika was also hallucinating, and seeing things that weren't really there. The guards dumped Rika on her bed, and closed the cell back up so no one could escape. Rika put her around Jeri's shoulders affectionately, and began nuzzling her affectionately. Jeri was quite uncomfortable with Rika's act of "affection."   
  
"Uh Rika, what're you doing?" asked Jeri shyly.   
  
Rika giggled girlishly. "Now Takato! How's that anyway to treat your 'dream girl?'"   
  
Jeri was surprised. "You like Takato?"   
  
"Of course! I think he's a great guy!" Rika began to squeeze more tightly.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
"I did that?" asked Rika incredulously. Jeri only nodded affirmatively. "I'm sorry for making you feel so uncomfortable. It was just the drugs. I would never do something like that to you. I'm not seeing Takato; it's all a big misunderstanding."   
  
Jeri seemed satisfied with Rika's explanation. A few hours later, the lights were off. The darkness of night cast a deep blue hue over the room. Jeri was sound asleep in her bed, but the same could not be said of Rika. She tossed and turned as dreams and visions filled her mind. It was though she was trying to tell herself something through her dreams and visions. The visions kept repeated themselves over and over again.   
  
Takato ran out of the gate to Rika's house with satisfaction. "Bye, it's not every day you get to meet your dream girl." He chuckled. "Sorry, couldn't resist! Well, bye!"   
  
"Bye bye!" said Guilmon as he waved to Renamon.   
  
"Wait," called Rika. "You tell anyone about that dream and I'll send you off to dreamland for good!" Rika made a swift kicking gesture for emphasis.   
  
The Tamers boarded a disc bound for Zhuqiaomon's palace. "I sent that E-mail to our parents letting them know we were okay," said Takato.   
  
"What? When did this happen?" asked Rika.   
  
"It happened a while back when we got separated and uh... okay, go ahead and hit me..."   
  
"Why?" A moment silence followed, before Rika continued. "Thank you Takato." Rika suddenly realized something. "Wait a minute! You didn't put a girly heart on it did you?"   
  
"Well I, uh..." Takato remembered the row of hearts on his message to Rika's mom.   
  
"Uh oh!" muttered Guilmon.   
  
By Takato's reaction, Rika already knew his answer. "You did, didn't you? A heart? Anything would have been better than that! Even a smiley face would've been better!"   
  
"Uh yeah," replied Takato. "That's what I put!"   
  
"You put a smiley face? Are you crazy?" asked Rika rhetorically. She soon found herself watching in horror as Beelzemon demolished the Tamers' Digimon. He prepared to finish off the unaware Takato for good. "Takato! What are you doing? Get out of there!"   
  
Takato hugged Guilmon, in repentance for turning him into the monstrous Megidramon. His back was turned to Beelzemon, who saw this as his moment to strike. At that moment, time seemed to slow to a crawl. Beelzemon laughed maniacally as his handguns banged, but Takato was still drowned in sorrow. The bullets inched their way forwards, leaving circular ripples in the air behind them. The Tamers and their Digimon could only look on helplessly, for none of them could stand up to Beelzemon.   
  
"TA-KA-TO!" shouted Rika and the other Tamers. The bullets continued their unwavering flight towards the Red Tamer.   
  
At that moment, Rika woke up and bolted upright. She looked around to find herself inside her room. Jeri was still asleep in her bed. Renamon was snoozing with her back pressed against the wall. She lied back on her bed slowly, still shaken up about the dream. She had never felt so terrified for someone else in her life. She was beginning to wonder if she was deluding herself. Did she really did have feelings for Takato after all? She stared at the roof, thinking about everything.   
  
She soon found herself in Takato's arms. Their lips moved closer and closer, but before they touched, Takato pulled back. "Rika, wake up!" he cried.   
  
"Wha...?" muttered Rika as she awakened.   
  
"It's morning already! We're going to take back Byakko City today!" proclaimed Jeri.   
  
Rika was so disappointed to wake up moments before got to the good part. She was about to embrace Takato, feeling the tenderness of his body, the warmth of his lips. For a moment, she was caught up in her fantasy until she suddenly realized something. Oh the horror! She was about to kiss Gogglehead! She never felt more disgusted in her life. After she recovered, she began her morning routine.   
  
The rest of the day went by quickly, before she found herself in the strategy meeting. "Our Megadramon will make heavy air strikes on the south and east." Byakko leader pointed to the corresponding locations on a map. "Their goal is to take out the gun emplacements at these locations to allow our forces to enter the city unhindered."   
  
The meeting continued with troop assignments and movements. The groups were the same as the raiding groups, only this time, they had to hold territory. Byakko Leader's group was to assault Byakko's central office. Takato was the flag bearer who was to place the flag on the roof to indicate victory. Haruka's group contained Esmeralda, Henry, and their Digimon. They were to capture the radio station and ensure that it remained intact as possible. Upon knowing what everyone had to do, the Resistance geared up and began the mission.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
It was night and the city of Byakko was ominously quiet. AoA troops milled about in the arch-shaped gateway above the road to the city. In a watchtower was an AoA on the lookout for enemies. He scanned left and right with binoculars. The vacant desert took on an emerald hue through the effects of night vision. His binoculars warned him of several objects moving rapidly towards his location. He activated a higher magnification level to see them more clearly. They turned out to be a squadron of dragon-like Digimon with cybernetic implants.   
  
He identified them as Megadramon and became alarmed. "Incoming bombers!" he cried.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Megadramon   
Attribute: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Element: Metal   
  
This dragon Digimon is a close, but less powerful cousin of the Gigadramon species. The Guard Tamers and other forces with Digimon employ him in air strikes against enemy targets.   
  
Attacks:   
Darkside Attack - Megadramon's arms have been replaced by implants that launch biological missiles. This attack will put the shock and awe into his foes.   
  
Parry Force - Megadramon's powerful wings can send a gust of wind forward. It is strong enough to deflect certain attacks back at the attacker.   
  
_** An air raid siren blared with a sound that rose and lowered in pitch. In an instant, the squadron of Megadramon was upon the city. They rained missiles on the stone gateway of Byakko City. In an instant the gateway was reduced to smouldering rubble. The missiles killed the soldiers inside instantly. Each explosion sent deafening bangs and booms soaring through the air. The night sky was lit ablaze by the glowing energy of automatic weaponry returning fire.   
  
The Megadramon sped away from the city, evading fire every inch of the way. They turned around and flew back at Byakko City for a second pass. Their Darkside Attacks left a wall of fire in their wake, annihilating countless AoA Digimon and soldiers. Their vehicles had been totalled, and all that remained of them was flaming scrap. Several corpses littered the streets and wisps of smoke rose into the air from the multitude of charred potholes.   
  
The Resistance sped to the entrance of the city. An attractive, sixteen year old brunette emerged from one of the humvees. Her khaki uniform made her look all the more distinguished and noble. She had a thin, but slightly muscular build from all the physical exertion she had to make as a rebel. This woman, Haruka, gave her troupe orders to attack. Henry Biomerged into Mega Gargomon, and Amar ascended to Mega level.   
  
"Asuramon, Mega Digivolve to..."   
  
Amar found himself on a desert world, and became wracked by burning pain. The heat within him began to grow uncontrollably until he exploded in a blaze of glory. A new Digimon smashed through the stone ground underneath. He was a muscular humanoid with flaming red skin and crimson boots. He head was that of a spotted grey cougar, and his tights were made from the fur of the same animal. A pair of Chrome Digizoid bracelets formed on his wrists, before he sprayed fire in all directions and assumed a heroic pose.   
  
"Marsmon!"   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Marsmon   
Type: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Element: Fire   
  
Like the god of war himself, Marsmon is a consummate warrior whose weapons are the martial arts and flame. He is one of the physically strongest Digimon ever to exist, able to lift an object with a weight exponentially greater than his own.   
  
Attacks:   
Corona Sanction - Marsmon can throw a giant sphere of super hot plasma that brings fiery destruction to everything in its path.   
  
Infinite Surge - Marsmon can project a destructive crimson energy beam by cupping his hands and gathering energy. _**   
  
Amar, Mega Gargomon, and a squad of Digimon advanced into the city, passing piles of rubble and craters. "Okay, we're going for the radio station. Keep your eyes peeled in case of attack," warned Amar.   
  
After a few minutes, the troupe made visual contact with the station. The station was a product of high technology. It was a clean building with a coat of white paint. On its roof was a massive reception dish made of shiny grey metal. In front of the building were several sandbagged nests for machine gunners, and between each of them was a barbed wire fence. A few soldiers lurked within the station itself, and could be seen peering out of the windows with automatic weaponry.   
  
"There's the station! Looks like we're in for a fight!" said Henry, noting the Digimon advancing to meet him.   
  
"All right guys, take out that AoA garrison, but make sure not to damage the station too much," directed Haruka over the radio.   
  
"Damn, they have Megas! Watch out!" cried a worried AoA soldier.   
  
The machine gunners opened fire, filling the air with deafening bangs. The rebels took cover in a nearby abandoned restaurant and returned fire. A hail of energy bolts pelted Mega Gargomon's body, but made no dents or scratches. His Chrome Digizoid chassis made him effectively immune to attack. The cylinders of his arm machineguns spun with each shot he returned. He pelted a sniper until he fell out of the station's window to his death.   
  
An arrow of holy energy struck Mega Gargomon in the back, drawing his attention to the Angewomon that launched it. She was flanked by a Paildramon and a Shakkoumon. Paildramon and Shakkoumon attacked with Desperado Blaster and Justice Beam respectively, but Mega Gargomon blocked the attacks. Mega Gargomon returned fire with his machinegun arm, to find that Shakkoumon simply absorbed the energy into his body. Having gotten nowhere, Mega Gargomon entered into a combat stance as he studied his opponents.   
  
"I've always wondered how well we'd do against the Digidestined's Digimon," remarked Henry.   
  
"Well, looks like we're about to find out!" noted Terriermon.   
  
"Yeah, looks like we will," agreed Henry. "That Shakkoumon is going to be a pain. Let's use our fists instead."   
  
The Paildramon restarted with the Sting Strike attack, charging into Mega Gargomon with sharp spikes extended from his arms. Mega Gargomon blocked once again, but this time, he caught Paildramon with a backhand swipe. Angewomon fired a Celestial Arrow, but Mega Gargomon leaned backwards and avoided. She received a retaliatory kick to the abdomen as her reward. With two of the AoA Digimon groaning and sprawled on the ground, it was just Shakkoumon and Mega Gargomon.   
  
Shakkoumon was not too thrilled to fight Mega Gargomon alone, but did so anyways. He launched a deadly volley of Kachina Bombs; disks with retractable, razor sharp knives. They simply bounced off the armour of Mega Gargomon, who then charged at his opponent. The Cybernetic Dog Digimon pummelled Shakkoumon with a flurry of punches. Mega Gargomon finished him off by driving a swift palm strike into his chest.   
  
Mega Gargomon glanced over at Amar, who was fighting off several Digimon. "Looks like Amar is fighting the rest of them," observed Henry. Amar blasted a Silphymon out of the air with a crimson energy beam. Silphymon landed on the ground with a thud.   
  
"Yeah, and he's kicking butt big time!" noted Terriermon. Amar's Corona Sanction melted all in its path. The plasma sphere swallowed a Magna Angemon whole and melted him into bits of raw data.   
  
A missile came straight at Amar, who suddenly caught it with his bare hand. Two more came at him, but he caught them just as easily. It was always better to give than to receive. Graciously, Amar returned the missiles to the AoA soldiers that fired them. Despite that, they weren't too receptive and leapt for dear life as the missiles exploded behind them. He spotted a line of AoA Digimon advancing on Resistance Digimon. He torched a nearby APC and tossed it into the enemy ranks.   
  
The AoA line around the station had fallen, and Esmeralda, Haruka and the other rebels prepared to enter the station itself. Amar took point as they stormed the building, taking fire so the humans would be unharmed. The AoA fired countless rounds of energy and explosives into his body, all without having any effect whatsoever. Amar ended the battle by projecting roaring flames upon the enemy.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
From a distance, Byakko Leader gazed upon the central office from where he used to preside over Byakko City. Gallantmon, Sakuyamon, and other rebels were with him, looking at the historical structure together. It was an ancient, monolithic structure that looked like a bump on the ground. Its main body was constructed from sand-coloured stone. There were several circular openings sealed by glass and used as windows. Like the radio station, the AoA had occupied this building as well.   
  
A dark Digimon and his Online Tamer approached Byakko Leader. The Tamer was clothed in a khaki military uniform, and had his face concealed by head coverings. His Digimon was a blue skinned humanoid with green cloth covering around his face. His armour was golden and moulded to have the effigies of a griffon's head on his shoulder pads and chest. His crimson wings and blue tail made him look less human and more demonic.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Murmuxmon   
Type: Virus   
Level: Mega   
Element: Darkness/Fire   
  
This Demon Lord is feared for his ability to discover secrets. He is a rival of the Daemon species and like them; he has great command over the elements of fire and darkness.   
  
Attacks:   
Gehenna Flame - Murmuxmon can channel hellish flames which gush forth from his hands.   
  
Necro Interrogation - This attack surrounds the victim with cackling negative energy skulls. They can tap into a person's mind to acquire information.   
  
_** "Secure the area around behind the central office," ordered Byakko Leader.   
  
"Yes sir!" replied the Online Tamer. "Let's get going, Murmuxmon!"   
  
Byakko Leader turned to Gallantmon and Sakuyamon. "Sakuyamon, you're taking point while my team storms the office. Use your shield to provide cover for us. Gallantmon, guard this area and don't let the enemy follow us. Once we secure the office, go to the roof and raise the flag to let everyone know we've won!"   
  
"Okay," replied Takato and Rika.   
  
Gallantmon remained behind to guard the area. Sakuyamon erected a pink, globular barrier of nature-aligned energy. The door to the office was made of fortified steel. Instead of opening it with conventional methods, Sakuyamon waved her staff. A mystic force opened the door and the AoA soldiers within opened fire immediately. The barrier completely stopped every shot and bomb they lobbed her way.   
  
"Spirit Strike!" called Sakuyamon.   
  
Mystical foxes of fire, water, wind, and lightning pierced through the bodies of three soldiers and an armed Hagurumon. The enemy continued to fire, futilely exhausting their ammunition on Sakuyamon. The rebels swept through the building, gunning down anyone who resisted. The group was greeted with a panoramic view of Byakko City on the roof. The sounds of faint booms and bangs could be heard sporadically. Small bolts of light and plumes of smoke filled the sky. There were still sections of the city being contested, but most of the fighting had ended.   
  
Byakko Leader pulled out his radio and made a call. "Takato, we're ready for the flag!"   
  
The rebels lowered the AoA flag from the pole. It was an inverted "V" with a circle in the middle. The AoA emblem was on a blue background. Gallantmon entered the scene and reverted back to Guilmon and Takato. The Red Tamer fastened his Tamer's flag onto the rope, and it rose higher with each tug. Once it reached the top, the rebels cheered with a joyous fervour and the news spread throughout the city. The wind picked up and blew the flag triumphantly. 


	9. Alliances

AnT:   
Unfortunately, I've never seen that movie. All I have to go on are what sites tell me about it.   
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  
  
  
  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 9: Alliances   
  
  
  
  
  
"Wee! This is fun!" exclaimed Suzie as she stuck her head out of a humvee's window. The wind blew into her hair as her humvee sped forward.   
  
The Guard Tamers and Pharaohmon's followers travelled eastward on the Windy Prairie in a convoy of Digibeetles, humvees, and other military vehicles. The prairie was a vast grassland that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was an exposed, agoraphobic place. There was little cover here with the exception of the occasional patch of palm trees. These palm trees bore strange red and blue fruit, and were known as "Kicking Trees."   
  
This tree got its name from the fact that Online Tamers frequently kicked them to knock Cardmon out of their branches. Online Tamers then fought this Digimon for packs of game cards and to train their Digimon partners. Kicking Trees could be found in any place in the Digimon Online game world, but the largest concentration of them was the Kicking Forest. This forest was east of the Windy Prairie, and the Guard Tamers' destination. They stopped beside a lake and erected their base.   
  
"This place is beautiful!" remarked Seiko as she inhaled the fresh forest air.   
  
"Do you think so?" asked Shibumi. "I designed it myself. I'm one of the people who created Digimon Online."   
  
After familiarizing themselves with the area, the Guard Tamers held a meeting. "Okay, we going need help and lots of it!" began Lillith.   
  
"Yeah, but where will we find it?" asked Frosty.   
  
"Where else? Ask the game players for help like you did with me," suggested Seiko. "You can also ask other cities. I'm sure they don't want to be conquered by the AoA any more than we do."   
  
"Yeah, that's a good idea," said Akira.   
  
"We're near Seiryu City, so let's start there," noted Shibumi. "We should talk to Seiryu Leader."   
  
Shibumi drove his team to Seiryu City in a humvee. After passing a heavily guarded checkpoint, they were greeted by the sight of several windmills spinning in the wind. Seiryu had a very unusual design where old-fashioned architecture met high technology. The cobblestone homes of the citizens had an old-fashioned charm. On the other hand, the commercial buildings were products of high technology with glamorous neon signs. The city was under heightened security and everywhere they turned, they saw a patrol of Online Tamers and Digimon.   
  
Shibumi parked the humvee in front of a governmental building made of cement and smooth brown stone. "This is the place," he announced.   
  
The lobby was a bustling place filled with functionaries, Online Tamers, and Digimon conducting their business. It was a vast room with marble floors and walls. Along the walls were pictures of past leaders and historical memorabilia. The building had two wings joined to the lobby. The east wing of the building was where the offices were located, and where Seiryu Leader could be found. The west wing was actually the Digimon Lab for this city.   
  
The Digmon Lab was the Online Tamer's method of adding variety to their partners' capabilities. By loading techniques, Digimon can use the techniques from other Digivolutionary forms while assuming a different form. This only worked for generic techniques and not with a Digimon's trademark attacks. Online Tamers can also specify what Digivolutionary lines a Digimon can use, but often kept the Digimon's natural line usable whenever possible.   
  
"Hey wait!" called Seiko. "Frosty and I need to visit the Digimon Lab. Can you guys take of this while I'm gone?"   
  
"Sure, go ahead. We can take care of things," said Shibumi.   
  
"Thanks," said Seiko. "Let me know when you're done."   
  
Seiko and Frosty entered a high tech facility with whitewashed walls. Along the sides of the walls were several machines connected to cylindrical plastic chambers. Both Digimon and humans were represented in the ranks of the operators and kept a vigilant eye on the readings of their instruments. A cute small Digimon flew up to Frosty and Seiko. The Digimon resembled a small pink pom-pom with arms, legs, and a face. It was a fairy-like creature with clear gossamer wings.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Piximon   
Attribute: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Element: Wind   
  
These cute, powder puff-like Digimon run Digimon Labs all over Asuka and other servers. Though they are usually non-violent, they can defend themselves quite adequately if provoked.   
  
Attacks:   
Pit Bomb - Piximon is armed with small, grenade-like bombs which he will throw at his enemies. These bombs were designed to look like grinning bats.   
  
Fairy Tail - This is the name Piximon's spear. It can generate air pockets which have a variety of uses, such as concealment.   
  
_** "Hello, what do you need?" asked Piximon.   
  
"I'm just here to make changes to Frosty's loaded techniques," replied Seiko.   
  
"Sure," said Piximon, before pointing to a vacant cylinder. "Just have your Digimon step into that circle and enter your commands into the panel nearby."   
  
Frosty stood inside the circular marking on the ground and the chamber closed with a swish. Seiko looked at the panel's read out of the moves and Digivolutionary forms that Frosty had available. His Frigimon line gave him ice, healing, and strength enhancement powers. His Air Dramon line gave him air and speed enhancement powers. Finally, the Sea Dramon line gave him water and electrical powers. Seiko had many choices and compromises to make.   
  
As a Digimon, Frosty was more physically adept rather than mystically adept. She was also limited to loading a maximum of three techniques per line, and three lines per Digimon. She ended up loading the Heaven Hit ability from Mega Seadramon, and the Whirlwind and Speed Up abilities of Aero Veedramon. She loaded Frigimon's Small Heal and Double Power for improving Frosty's support capability. This load out gave Frigimon a variety of physically based attacks, with other abilities for support.   
  
The machine hummed and the column filled with flickering rainbow coloured lights. Frosty felt knowledge filling and leaving his mind at the same time. After a few more seconds, the machine became quiet and the chamber opened. Piximon looked at the readouts and found no anomalies. He dismissed the Ice Dinosaur Digimon and his Online Tamer, who left to rejoin the others.   
  
"Hey, Seiko!" cried a voice. It was Shibumi, and flanking him was Akira, Suzie, an unknown European man, and his Digimon.   
  
This young man was in his early twenties with short black hair and a smile on his face. He was wearing a two piece uniform that was smooth, clean, and grey in colour. He was also wearing shiny black boots. This man had a badge designed to look like the head of a blue, Chinese-style dragon. The man looked very noble and distinguished, and cast an air of great authority. Seiko concluded that this man must be the leader of Seiryu City.   
  
Seiko recognized the man's Digimon as Sea Dramon, one of Frosty's alternate Digivolutionary forms. He was a long, serpentine creature with aquamarine skin and a white underbelly. His body had a small number of fins placed at equal distances from each other, and his tail ended in a red fin. His head was protected by a golden helmet with ornamental fins. Sea Dramon hovered around as he watched his master.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Sea Dramon   
Type: Data   
Level: Champion   
Element: Water/Ice   
  
This serpentine Digimon is at home in the cold waters of the Digital World's arctic and antarctic areas. Though he can breathe ice as a weapon, most of his powers are based on water.   
  
Attacks:   
Ice Blast - Sea Dramon can blow a blast of ice and snow to freeze his unfortunate victim.   
  
Ice Winder - Sea Dramon serpentine body allows him to coil around the victim and crush him or her to death.   
  
_** "Seiko Hata, I presume?" asked Seiryu Leader as he extended his hand.   
  
"Yes, that's me," she replied as she shook Seiryu Leader's hand.   
  
"I'm Seiryu Leader, nice to meet you. Your friends told me all about your run in with the AoA. You're lucky to be alive!"   
  
"They've been very supportive and kind to me."   
  
"That's great! Now onto business; with Digimon Online's fail-safes down and AoA patrols lurking around the area, we realize that we need unity for survival. The city of Seiryu pledges its support to the Guard Tamers in the fight against the AoA."   
  
"We're glad to have you with us," said Akira. "We need all the help we can get. Are there any others who are willing to help?"   
  
"Byakko City has fallen into AoA hands so we can't ask them. Our only remaining options are Suzaku City, Genbu City and the dinosaur type Digimon of Tyranno Valley," informed Seiryu Leader.   
  
"Genbu City is located behind treacherous mountains. It might be difficult for them to move troops to the south. Maybe we should ask Suzaku City instead," suggested Sea Dramon.   
  
"Suzaku City?" asked Frosty. "Seiko and I have been there for some training. Personally, I find the place far too warm for my tastes."   
  
"Personally, I think it's a beautiful place. It's so romantic..." said Seiko fantasizing about the city.   
  
"Ahem..." interrupted Shibumi. "Looks like it's a go for Suzaku City."   
  
"Leave it to me," assured Seiryu Leader. "I'll take care of Suzaku Leader myself."   
  
"That leaves Tyranno Valley," noted Sea Dramon. "You'll need to climb to the top of a plateau in order to talk to the leader, Master Tyrannomon."   
  
"We can do that!" said Suzie enthusiastically.   
  
"Great, looks like everything is settled then. Let's move out!" said Akira.   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Meanwhile, the situation was grim for the citizens and Online Tamers of Asuka City. The city was in a state of high security. The AoA had declared martial law on Asuka and imposed a curfew. Several soldiers and Digimon milled about the parapets of the city, watching for intruders like a hawk searching for its prey. Others patrolled the streets in humvees, and scanning the people and city for any signs of dissention.   
  
Within the walls of the Administration Centre, were the quarters of an AoA commander. This commander was a machine rather than a man. He was known by his troops as "Lord Megadeath." His body was a legless animated suit of spiky crimson armour. His torso tapered into a point upon which he floated. His head was a matching helmet with only his eyes visible within the darkness. They were like a pair of stars in the vastness of space.   
  
In actuality, Megadeath was an AI and not a true machine. He entered his recharging cubicle, a cylindrical closet, to replenish his energy reserves. The process took about six hours and during this time, memories of the past filled his mind. Megadeath was back in his home world, the same world Akira was originally from. It was a desolate world devastated by the indiscriminate use of the biochemical weapon, Blight.   
  
Megadeath stood before a vast African jungle, but it was not an ordinary jungle. A disgusting, greenish brown sludge coated the ground. The trees were dotted with innumerable mouldy spots. They were neither truly dead, nor truly alive in any sense. Above the tree tops loomed a gigantic, green capped mushroom swimming with disease. Several green coloured pods made of resin dropped from the mushroom; a sign that Megadeath was in big trouble.   
  
Moments later, a horde of unholy creatures swarmed out of the forest. Some were simply bones with a translucent version of the sludge binding them together like tendons. Many of these creatures looked like dinosaurs, though a few looked like ordinary African animals. Other creatures were the stuff of horror movies; the corpses of animals and humans animated by a dark power. These undead monstrosities had tattered flesh covered by mouldy spots and tears that revealed their bones.   
  
Fortunately, Megadeath had powerful friends on his side. All three of these friends were mechanical Digimon war machines, the first of which was Suijinmon himself. The second ally, Fujinmon, was a biped android with green Chrome Digizoid armour. Instead of hands, this Digimon had switchblades instead. He unsheathed blades of fiery crimson energy and cut through the advancing horde as though it was air.   
  
The third, Raijinmon, was an android constructed from beige Chrome Digizoid armour. His armour had many crimson markings on it, the most notable of which were the glyphs on his chest that represented the zodiac sign Cancer. He clasped his silver hands together, and launched a barrage of missiles from the two cylinders that made each of his shoulders. The creatures burst into pieces by the hundreds with each explosion.   
  
Suijinmon got into his firing position as his allies provided the necessary distraction. He rained shots from his Giga Cannons until the mushroom collapsed from the damage. Even though the mushroom crumpled into a heap, Suijinmon continued firing until he ground it to dust. With it dead, the land gradually returned to normal. The sludge began to decompose inward in the direction of the mushroom's remains. Megadeath and his Digimon relished their victory.   
  
The day dawned, and Megadeath came face to face with his three Hagurumon. "You're still thinking about that, my lord?" asked one of them.   
  
Megadeath sighed. "Yeah."   
  
The Hagurumon fell silent. "We have a meeting this morning. We have to go or we'll be late."   
  
  
  
****************************************   
  
  
  
Akira, Suzie, Shibumi, and Seiko followed a dusty path to the heart of Tyranno Valley. It was a rocky area devoid of any plant life and had treacherous cliffs. Everywhere they walked, they could see the bones of gigantic, fossilized dinosaurs lodged into the stone. After a brief analysis, Akira could tell they weren't the bones of Digimon. Digimon always disintegrated into data instead of leaving a corpse. They were normal dinosaurs from the Real World.   
  
"This place looks like one big dinosaur graveyard," commented Lillith.   
  
"Wow, that's a Bwachiosaurus!" said Suzie as she pointed to the dinosaur's fossil, which was embedded into the stone wall.   
  
"These are the bones of real dinosaurs, as in the ones from the Real World," noted Akira.   
  
Shibumi took notice. "Do you like the decor?" he asked. "I designed the look of this place myself. I think the fossils make nice decorations, don't you think?"   
  
"If you ask me, those bones belong in a museum," commented Darkfryer. "They're going to get damaged being exposed like that to the dinosaur Digimon roaming this place."   
  
"Nah, no worries there. The place is programmed to self repair after taking damage," informed Shibumi.   
  
All of a sudden, the squad heard an explosion. "What's going on?" asked Lopmon.   
  
"It came from the top! Let's hurry!" exclaimed Datamon.   
  
The group ran down the path to the top of the plateau, where Master Tyrannomon's entourage stayed. Instead of just seeing normally peaceful Digimon, they saw them fighting off the attack of an invading Digimon force. Some of the dinosaurs resembled tyrannosaurs with bright red skin, and slash markings only around their jaws. These dinosaur Digimon launched volleys of fireballs at their enemies. They were known as Tyrannomon.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Tyrannomon   
Attribute: Data   
Level: Champion   
Element: Fire   
  
This fiery dinosaur is a common sight in the mountainous and volcanic regions of the Digital World. He is a ferocious opponent but is not the kind to make unprovoked attacks.   
  
Attacks:   
Blaze Blast - Tyrannomon can spit explosive fireballs at anyone that gains his ire.   
  
_** The others were green skinned smaller tyrannosaurs with red slash markings on their skin, and the skull and crossbones on their shoulder. They had spikes running along the length of their bodies and a pair of black tusks with red stripes protruding from their backs. They were known as Tuskmon. Unlike the Tyrannomon, some of them favoured a direct confrontation and used their claws and horns as weapons. The others launched spikes from their body as projectiles.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Tuskmon   
Attribute: Virus   
Level: Champion   
Element: None   
  
This Digimon hails from the mountainous regions of the Digital World. Their favoured weapons are the tusks that protrude from their backs.   
  
Attacks:   
Bayonet Lancer - Tuskmon can launch his tusks like missiles.   
  
Slamming Tusk - Tuskmon can gore a victim with his tusks and fling him around.   
  
_** "AoA Digimon!" cried Darkfryer.   
  
"Let's get'em!" cried Akira.   
  
Suzie slashed a card through her D-Power. "Digimodify! Digivolution activate!"   
  
"Lopmon, Digivolve to... Turuiemon!"   
  
"Snow Agumon, Digivolve to... Frigimon!" In a burst of cold, snowy air, Snow Agumon ascended to Champion level.   
  
"Okay guys, stay close to Darkfryer or Lillith to take advantage of their auras," reminded Akira.   
  
The squad's Digimon raced to the battlefield with enhanced speed thanks to Darkfryer's aura. One of the enemy Digimon, a Mega Kabuterimon, had downed an already wounded Tyrannomon with an electrical blast. With only moments to react, Darkfryer sprayed jet black flames, diverting Mega Kabuterimon's attention away from the Tyrannomon. A hail of energy bullets followed from Akira and Shibumi and pelted Mega Kabuterimon in the chest. Datamon finished him off by lobbing a grenade into his chest.   
  
The Tyrannomon was grateful. "Thank you!"   
  
"No problem!" replied Datamon.   
  
"Where did these guys come from?" asked Darkfryer.   
  
"This big polyhedron popped out of nowhere and suddenly these Digimon started coming out of it!" replied the Tyrannomon.   
  
"Where is it?"   
  
"North," replied the Tyrannomon. "Master Tyrannomon went to fight. Please check if he's okay."   
  
Akira nodded. "Everyone, disengage and come with us! We're going to check on Master Tyrannomon."   
  
The squad made their way past the fighting and came upon a pair of Digimon pounding on each other. The first was obviously Master Tyrannomon, a gigantic dinosaur that was as tall as a three story house. He had green plates running along his back like that of the stegosaurus. His black, scaly had red tribal markings that were designed to resemble scars. His only real scar was the "X" shaped one on his white underbelly.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Master Tyrannomon   
Attribute: Vaccine   
Level: Ultimate   
Element: Fire   
  
Master Tyrannomon are considered the leaders of their kind, hence their name. They are noble, powerful Digimon who treat their followers with respect.   
  
Attacks:   
Master Fire - Master Tyrannomon can breathe fire like a dragon can. Even steel melts under the intense heat of his flames.   
  
Master Claw - Master Tyrannomon can make a particularly powerful slash with his claws.   
  
_** His opponent was the polyhedral Digimon that the Tyrannomon warned Akira and the others about. This golden, mechanical Digimon was the size of a small house. It had a twenty-sided body in which each principal face was octagonal. Much like a turtle's shell, it had openings for the Digimon's limbs and head. Its legs were arranged as the points of a cross. One of its arms was a nozzle and the other was a grappling arm like those found in an arcade game. The hatch on top for its head was an actual part of its head. It was a Digimon that no one had ever seen before.   
  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Bulbmon   
Attribute: Data   
Level: Ultimate   
Element: Metal/Fire   
  
This Digimon lacks any will of its own and must be controlled by pilots in order to accomplish anything. It has the ability to teleport and travel between dimensions. It can bounce around like a ball without taking any damage.   
  
Attacks:   
Mad Pump - Bulbmon's primary weapon is a nozzle that sprays napalm. The napalm can be ignited immediately as in a flamethrower or delayed to create walls of flame.   
  
Octagon Attack - Bulbmon's secondary weapon is the ability to curl up and ram into an opponent like a cannonball.   
  
_** "That must be how the AoA entered the game worlds!" cried Shibumi.   
  
The Bulbmon sprayed roaring flames onto Master Tyrannomon. The blistering heat of the air and the force of the fire jet put him on the defensive. Master Tyrannomon blocked and his natural resistance to fire helped mitigate the damage. Master Tyrannomon responded in kind with his own blast of fiery breath and the air glowed again with the light of the flames. The Bulbmon backed off to a cooler location to prepare its next move.   
  
The Bulbmon decided to use its Twin Missile attack, a Metal element Online technique. It opened a compartment and launched a pair of missiles into Master Tyrannomon's chest. The impact and ensuing explosion caused him to cry out in pain. Akira's squad attacked the Bulbmon to divert the pilot's attention. They rocked it with several rounds of negative energy, regular energy, ice, and explosives.   
  
"Everyone, find and take out Bulbmon's pilots," ordered Akira.   
  
The Digimon surrounded the Bulbmon and pressed the attack. Darkfryer and Lillith shot spheres of negative energy. Frosty jabbed it with a Subzero Ice Punch and Datamon rocked it with Twin Missile. Turuiemon wheeled around behind Bulbmon and threw a flurry of kicks and punches into its back. The nozzle suddenly turned to Frosty and spewed gallons of flaming napalm. Fortunately, he leapt away moments before the flames could get him.   
  
"I couldn't see the hatch! Where is it?" asked Frosty as he got up.   
  
The nozzle turned around and clipped Turuiemon with its length. She landed abruptly on her back. Suzie ran to check on her condition. "Don't worry. I'm alright Suzie," she dismissed. "I know where the hatch is! It's on its back!"   
  
"Good! Turuiemon, try to pry the hatch open. Everyone else, keep Bulbmon preoccupied," ordered Akira.   
  
"Yes sir!" replied Shibumi.   
  
The Tamers opened fired. Its nozzle turned to Darkfryer and Lillith who scattered just as the flames came roaring at them. Datamon launched a Digital Bomb which exploded and released a pulse of azure energy. The attack momentarily stunned the polyhedral Digimon, but once it recovered it launched its grappling arm into him. Datamon caught the arm and struggled to prevent it from closing on him.   
  
Turuiemon latched onto Bulbmon's back and began to pry the hatch open. The hatch was made of Chrome Digizoid and it was very difficult to force open. Bulbmon began to move erratically in an effort to shake her off. It eventually succeeded but fortunately, Turuiemon landed on her feet this time. She resorted to more extreme measures and began to pelt it with a flurry of punches and kicks.   
  
"I can't get it open! I need more strength!" cried Turuiemon.   
  
"Don't give up!" cried Suzie.   
  
Bulbmon turned and launched a missile into Frosty's chest. The Digimon renewed their attacks to provide further distraction. Darkfryer and Lillith tarred the Bulbmon's legs with a molasses-like darkness, making it harder for it to turn around. Datamon pressed the attack with a volley of missiles. Using these attacks as cover, Turuiemon snuck behind and made a second attempt at the latch.   
  
This time, Suzie had a plan. "Digimodify! Power activate!"   
  
Turuiemon felt power surging through her body. She began to pound the latch open until it snapped open. Turuiemon jumped inside and the Bulbmon froze. A brief scuffle ensued within and the sound of several rapidly thrown punches and kicks filled the cockpit. The Bulbmon shuddered in every direction imaginable before suddenly stopping. Turuiemon threw out the pilots one by one until all three had been expelled.   
  
"All done!" Turuiemon proclaimed triumphantly.   
  
After capturing the men, the others began to check on Master Tyrannomon's condition. "Are you alright?" asked Seiko.   
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Master Tyrannomon. "Who were those guys and who are you?"   
  
"Those bad people were AoA," replied Suzie.   
  
"We're Guard Tamers, a military force consisting of Digimon and Tamers," replied Akira. "We're here to form an alliance with you against the AoA," continued Akira.   
  
"Well count me in! I want pay back for this!" Akira radioed his base and relayed the good news.   
  
"You mind if we keep Bulbmon?" asked Shibumi.   
  
"Not really. What are you going to do with that thing?" asked Master Tyrannomon in reference to Bulbmon.   
  
"We're going to study it to find out how the AoA travel between the game worlds, and use it to our advantage," replied Shibumi. Master Tyrannomon only nodded in response.   
  
"While we're here, we might as well learn how to control that thing," suggested Datamon.   
  
The squad loaded the prisoners into the Bulbmon and perused the cockpit. Bulbmon had a roomy, metallic interior that could fit a small squad. Several blinking lights and three monitors dominated the front of the cockpit. Each monitor had a panel and a lever in front it which controlled the different parts of Bulbmon. The central panel was the pilot's panel which directed Bulbmon's movements. The right panel controlled the Bulbmon's Mad Pump, and by process of elimination, the last panel controlled the grappling arm.   
  
Seiko experimented with the controls, and watched the grappling arm shoot out and pick up a rock on the monitor. "Cool!"   
  
The squad returned to base with Bulbmon, Master Tyrannomon and their prisoners. The Guard Tamers took custody of the AoA POWs and led them into holding cells where they would stay for questioning. The mechanics began a check up of Bulbmon's data banks for any sensitive data that might aid the war effort. The tide was beginning to turn in favour of the Guard Tamers. A radio transmission came in with even more good news.   
  
"Commander Violet, we have received a message from Byakko City. The other Tamers are alive, and have liberated the city for us!" announced the communications officer over the radio.   
  
"Really?" asked Akira. He scrambled to the communications dome and listened as the officer replayed the message.   
  
"This Elite Tamer Esmeralda. My squad is okay. We have joined a resistance force and have captured Byakko City. Please respond!" said the message.   
  
"YES!" exclaimed Akira triumphantly. "Send a response immediately!" 


	10. Operation Presidency

Ninetalesuk:   
I've already answered your question in Stones chap. 19. I'll answer your chap. 19 review in chapter 20. 

  
  


  


bloodykitsune:   
They did pick their own, but I made the three they chose to be an allusion to the new Digimon of Digimon World 3 (Kotemon, Bearmon, and Monmon.) 

  
  


  


Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit. 

  
  


  


Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3 

  
  


  


Chapter 10: Operation Presidency 

  
  


  


Back in the Real World, the Tokyo police force moved in on the Digimon Online Corporation. Kasumi's role as a whistle-blower proved invaluable in bringing the corrupt elements of the company to justice. Their crimes included such unsavoury things as accounting fraud and abetting terrorists. Her financial files led to many arrests, including members of the board of directors. Despite this great windfall, the AoA still remained at large in the Real World.   
  
Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean was a mighty naval fleet belonging to the United States of America. Dozens of steel warships cut through the waters on their way to support a war in the Middle East. Among these ships was the latest product of American technological power, the USS Reagan. It was an island of steel in the vast empty reaches of the sea, a base of operations for America's air force. The American Navy and Air Force were about to face something they had never fought before; Digimon.   
  
Deep beneath the waters of the Pacific, several inhuman figures stirred in the darkness. A pair of crimson eyes opened, as though having sensed the ships above. One of the figures stood upright, revealing itself to be a creature whose head was like that of an octopus. The vaguely humanoid creature had a violet, rubbery body, and wings like that of a bat. Its arms and legs were merely tentacles similar to those on its face. The creature, known as Dragomon, magically formed a trident and prepared to strike. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Dragomon   
Attribute: Virus   
Level: Ultimate   
Element: Water   
  
Dragomon are the masters of the oceans of the Dark Area. The most powerful Dragomon are capable of controlling water and the weather with a thought.   
  
Attacks:   
Tentacle Claw - This weapon is a Chrome Digizoid trident. It can pierce through even the most heavily armoured ship.   
  
Tentacle Flapping - Dragomon can lash out with tentacles such as the ones on his face and crush his victim.   
_**

  
Several blips appeared on the Reagan's sonar. "Captain, we have dozens of sonar contacts beneath us!" cried a sailor.   
  
"Sound the alarm! Helmsman, evasive manoeuvres!" ordered the captain.   
  
Suddenly, a maelstrom formed beneath one of the aircraft carriers. The ship was rendered helpless as it spun in a rapid, dizzying circle that threw the crew into the walls of their own ship. The carrier's planes were slammed into the walls, nearly crushing the mechanics on duty. On the deck, the sailors held on for dear life to avoid being flung into the sea itself. One of the unlucky ones lost his grip, and was battered into the sea by the aft of the ship.   
  
The naval fleet saturated the sea with a seemingly endless torrent of depth charges. However, this was not enough to ward off their attackers. A trident skewered one of the gunboats and lifted it into the air like a trophy. Dragomon's head popped out of the water and his facial tentacles latched on and crushed the ship like a soda can. Several sailors abandoned the ship and swam away from the angry beast as fast as they could.   
  
One by one, the Digimon demolished the American fleet, leaving the USS Reagan as the only survivor. A Bulbmon materialized over the Reagan's flight deck and landed with a thud that shook the entire ship. AoA Digimon swarmed out and began exchanging fire with the crew. A fireball exploded in the midst of the soldiers and wiped them out. The Digimon swept through the ship and killed anyone that crossed their path.   
  
Upon discovering that the ship had been secured, Vemmon, the leader of the Digimon, exited the Bulbmon. He was a small reptilian creature with a violet, scaly skin. He adjusted his beret and scanned the carnage through his black shades. He enjoyed seeing the results of the bloodbath and a smug grin formed on his face. He made his way to the bridge and kicked the body of the mutilated captain out of his way. He ordered his troops back to the Bulbmon as he made his way to the bridge.   
  
"Heh heh heh! They think they can shut us down in the Real World? Destromon will show them just how foolish they are," said Vemmon.   
  
Vemmon dug his claws into one of the Reagan's control panels. At once, Vemmon's very being entered the computers of the Reagan. He began to merge with the aircraft carrier, which began an unnatural transformation into the Digimon known as Destromon. Parts of the ship shifted and formed a crimson, half-human, half dragon body with gold markings. From each of its shoulders extended a trio of massive cannons. Several golden talons grew out of Destromon's massive hands, and he roared in triumph.   
  
Destromon marched towards the shores of Japan as the next phase of his operation. Several American fighter planes flew in to intercept. The pilots contacted their carrier with confirmation of Destromon's sighting and received orders to engage the beast. A series of swooshes filled the air as the pilots launched missiles into the creature's back. After the explosions had settled, the pilots realized their attack had no effect.   
  
"The target is undamaged! I repeat; the target is undamaged!" said a pilot into his radio.   
  
Some distance away, a second fleet of American battleships trained their guns onto Destromon. They unleashed a deafening bang with every shot they fired. The shells burst around Destromon like a fireworks display on a national holiday. The planes turned around for a second attack run and pelted Destromon with more missiles and machinegun fire. The behemoth was irritated and proceeded to eliminate the pests firing at him.   
  
Destromon swivelled to follow the planes and flooded his airspace with the bursting of shells. The pilots immediately began evasive manoeuvres upon realizing they were taking fire. One by one, the bursting shells knocked the planes out of the sky until none were left. Several unseen shells collided with his face, enraging him even further. He traced their path back to the battleships and immediately trained his weapons onto them.   
  
A trail of blue sparkles left his cannon as a slug shot outwards at a battleship. The ship's armour may as well have been butter due to the ease with which the slug burned through the metal. The slug punched a trail of holes all the way through to the other side of the hull. Water began flooding into the ship and the alarm sounded. The crew tried desperately to seal off the flooded compartment.   
  
The ship suddenly tilted forwards. "Damn! What the hell did he hit us with?" asked the captain.   
  
"It must be some sort of rail gun!" replied tactical officer.   
  
A shell struck the bridge, hurtling the crew to the ground. The explosion wounded the captain in the leg. "Argggh!" groaned the captain.   
  
"Captain!" asked one of the sailors.   
  
"I'll live," replied the captain, as the sailor helped him onto his feet. He grabbed a radio to give orders. "All hands, abandon ship! Abandon ship!"   
  
The crew of the battleship scrambled for the lifeboats. They rowed out to sea to see their ship swallowed by the seemingly endless waters of the Pacific. The battle with Destromon still raged on, and shells burst all around from the exchange of fire. The American fleet fought back with courage, but it was clear that they were outmatched. Another ship sank beneath the waves, and another. They had no choice but to flee for their lives from Destromon's relentless assault. 

  
  
**************************************** 

  
  
"This monster appeared after an attack on an American naval fleet travelling to the war in Iraq. After decimating the JSDF naval fleet, the creature continued its advance towards Tokyo Bay. The authorities are urging residents to vacate the area as soon as possible," announced the reporter on TV.   
  
Yamaki was deeply disturbed by this event. The Japanese authorities had acquired information from whistle-blowers within the Digimon Online Corporation. This valuable and damning evidence had allowed them to freeze the assets of the AoA and arrest their agents in the Real World. At the same time, the Guard Tamers cracked down on AoA cells in the Digital World. However, it appeared that these activities displeased the AoA greatly. They had created Destromon as a means of retaliation.   
  
"...And here I was, thinking we weren't going to get any action," commented Kazu.   
  
"Yeah, and now we've got everything we could ever want and more!" quipped Kenta.   
  
The Tamers had volunteered to stop the rogue Digimon as best they could. Thus, the Hypnos crew drove them across the city in a van to the harbour, where they would intercept Destromon and attempt to destroy him. As they moved closer to the site of their battle, the bangs from exploding shells became ever louder. They could see Destromon's massive body looming in the distance, and could tell they had a major fight on their hands.   
  
The Hypnos van stopped at the edge of a harbour. "Good luck, kids!" said Riley and Tally.   
  
"Go get him!" cheered Yamaki.   
  
With the support of their allies, the Tamers and Digimon charged into battle. Kazu produced a Blue Card and slashed it through his D-Power. "Digimodify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"   
  
"Guardromon, Matrix Digivolve to..."   
  
Guardromon's body elongated to become more like that of a regular human. His rust coloured metal body turned into the greyish purple flesh of an inhuman creature. Portions of high tech Chrome Digizoid armour grafted itself onto his body, leaving only his right leg exposed. His chest plate opened and launched a pair of missiles into the air. Guardromon, now in his Ultimate form of Andromon, struck a battle ready pose.   
  
"Andromon!"   
  
"Biomerge activate!" cried Ryo.   
  
"Cyberdramon, Biomerge to..."   
  
The azure Digivolutionary energy pulled the bodies of Ryo and Cyberdramon into one. A heroic figure with a crimson scarf zoomed across the sky. He was a superhero in a purple and white spandex suit. His face was concealed behind a visor of silver Chrome Digizoid. The superhero turned his cybernetic right arm into a gun and mowed down a horde of demons. The superhero struck a noble, heroic pose for all to see.   
  
"Justimon!"   
  
"Impmon, Warp Digivolve to... Beelzemon Blast Mode!"   
  
Beelzemon flew up behind Destromon's head and introduced himself with a shot from his positron powered gun, the Corona Blaster. "Yeah! Nice shot, Beelzemon!" cheered Calumon from the sidelines.   
  
The explosion was immense and knocked Destromon face first into the ground. "Heh heh heh! Sweet!" remarked Beelzemon.   
  
Destromon had left an imprint of himself where he fell, but would not be put out of action so easily. He rose to his feet; incensed at Beelzemon's rude introduction. "Cheap shot!" cried Destromon.   
  
"Yeah? Well, there's more where that came from, buddy!" replied Beelzemon.   
  
Destromon was clocked from behind once again, this time by Justimon's shots, Andromon's missiles, and Marine Angemon's bubble shaped hearts. "Yeah, really courageous..." said Destromon sarcastically. "You guys want to try that again, now that I can see you?"   
  
"Keep at it guys! Let him have it!" cried Calumon.   
  
Destromon decided to make the first move and began to shell the Digimon with his cannons. Though he filled the air with explosions, they all darted out the way and evaded his attack. Beelzemon shot the massive dragon man in the ribs, but that served only to nudge him rather than cause any real damage. Destromon lashed out with his claws and smashed Beelzemon through the wall of a nearby warehouse.   
  
While Beelzemon had Destromon preoccupied, Justimon nailed him in the back with a flying kick. Instead of bouncing off, the superhero Digimon grabbed onto Destromon's back and produced a blade of orange energy. As he descended, he sliced down Destromon's back making him scream in pain. Andromon and Marine Angemon peppered the wound with blade shaped energy shots, and heart shaped bubbles. Destromon tumbled onto the ground with a thud.   
  
"I think we got him!" said Ryo and Cyberdramon.   
  
"Guess again!" cried Destromon defiantly.   
  
His claw suddenly shot out into Justimon and smashed him into the water. Destromon subsequently felled Andromon with a rail gun slug. Destromon turned his attention to Marine Angemon and saturated the air with bursting flak. The fairy-like angel had no way of escaping, despite his small stature and great mobility. He fell into the ocean like a stone being dropped from the sky.   
  
"This is not good," commented Calumon. "I hope they're alright..."   
  
Destromon, content with his victory over the Digimon, walked westward towards the Shinjuku area. As he advanced, he shelled every building in his sight. He left nothing behind but a trail of rubble and smouldering buildings. Some time later, Marine Angemon popped out of the water, and behind him was a giant heart shaped bubble made of water. Inside was Justimon, who gestured to Calumon to indicate he was fine. The two were joined by Beelzemon and Andromon, who had also recovered from their defeat.   
  
"This guy's a tougher nut to crack than I thought!" admitted Beelzemon.   
  
"He's going to tear the city apart if we don't do something!" warned Justimon.   
  
"Well don't just stand there! Follow him!" 

  
  
**************************************** 

  
  
Beams of intense heat shot out of War Growlmon's chest-mounted cannons. Upon striking an AoA humvee, they melted it into a puddle of liquid. Taomon blocked an incoming fireball with a rose coloured, globular barrier as Rapidmon shelled a garrisoned building with missiles. Amar levelled the minotaur Digimon, Minotarumon, with a swivelling low kick before picking him up and slamming him into the ground. He cast a glance at the flaming AoA base and the bodies of AoA Digimon and soldiers littered all around the area.   
  
"We really did a number on this place," commented Rapidmon, as he reverted to Terriermon.   
  
"Yeah, but the AoA won't be bothering Byakko again, at least for awhile," agreed Amar.   
  
Just hours ago, they had received a response from the Guard Tamer camp in the East Sector. Suzie and Akira had made it back to base safely, and were directing a massive invasion of Asuka City. Henry was the happiest of them all after discovering that Suzie was fine. However, a reunion would have to wait until after the AoA had been dealt with. The Tamers had occupied an important strategic position with their liberation of Byakko City and the West Sector.   
  
Akira had told them to remain in the West Sector and mop up as part of the strategy to retake Asuka. In the west were the Digimon Tamers, the Online Tamers of Byakko, and the Digimon of the West Sector. In the East were the Guard Tamers and their allies. Suzaku Leader and her loyalists occupied the South Sector and had pledged their support. Asuka's north wasn't any better; it was blocked off by steep, treacherous mountains. The AoA was in a precarious position being surrounded on all sides.   
  
In the South Sector was the beautiful seaside Suzaku City. The city consisted of a series of wooden platforms and bridges built over the waters of the Central Sea of Asuka Server. This city had a distinctly Chinese decor dominated by effigies of phoenixes that represented Suzaku. The city was bustling with preparations for war. The Digimon and Online Tamers loaded cargo into several wooden boats moored in the docks.   
  
Leading all of this activity was Suzaku Leader, a beautiful Chinese woman in her mid to late teens. She had long, lustrous black hair and wore a red Chinese-style uniform. On the left side of her chest was a badge depicted a phoenix with its wings open. Her Digimon companion and assistant was Red Veggiemon, a red, eggplant-like creature with a pair of vines. These vines functioned like arms and ended in barbed bulbs. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Red Veggiemon   
Attribute: Virus   
Level: Champion   
Element: Nature   
  
Red Veggiemon is a common sight in the forests and jungles of the Digital World. This plant Digimon has a very hot temper which results in the reddening of his body.   
  
Attacks:   
Spike Punch - Red Veggiemon uses the barbed bulbs on his vines to lash out at a victim. The vines can lengthen themselves to strike a distant opponent.   
  
Chilli Pepper Pummel - Red Veggiemon can spit multiple chilli peppers as a ranged attack. They inflame the victim's skin upon contact.   
_**

  
"Move that into these boats," directed Suzaku Leader to a worker.   
  
"How long do we have until we begin the attack?" asked Red Veggiemon.   
  
"Very soon. I'm waiting for word from the East Sector. They're hammering the AoA very hard with raids and guerrilla attacks. They're going to retake the Protocol Ruins and stage their attack from there."   
  
A few days had passed and the South Sector forces finished their preparations for combat. The Guard Tamers recaptured Protocol Ruins and signalled to the South to begin the attack. At once, dozens of Online Tamers and their non-aquatic Digimon scrambled for the boats. The waters near Suzaku City filled with hundreds of marine Digimon. Some of those with Digimon had gone on ahead to clear a landing zone for the boats. Others remained behind to tow and defend the boats as they landed on Shell Beach south of the Central Park.   
  
At Shell Beach, the battle had already begun. Megadramon, Gigadramon, and other aerial Digimon peppered the coastal defences with repeated elemental and missile strikes. The sky filled with explosions as AoA terrestrial Digimon fired into the air, and their aerial Digimon met the enemy. A massive tidal wave swept its way across the sea towards the beach. The terrified AoA troopers and Digimon abandoned their gun emplacements for fear of being swept away.   
  
The first wave of Suzaku Leader's forces had reached the beach. A Dragomon emerged from the depths of the sea and an AoA Mega Kabuterimon barred his way. It fired a bolt of electricity at Dragomon, making him convulse in pain. In retaliation, Dragomon whipped the giant beetle with his facial tentacles before impaling it with his trident. He pulled out his trident and the Mega Kabuterimon collapsed onto the ground and disintegrated.   
  
Suzaku Leader and her troops approached the battle. "Okay, this is it guys! The AoA line is falling!" 

  
  
**************************************** 

  
  
Henry's family, the Wong family, grabbed their belongings and boarded the family car to evacuate. It was a difficult task for the JSDF to evacuate people from a large area such as a city. The sidewalks were filled with armed servicemen and police supervising and directing the flow of traffic. The streets were clogged with cars of other refugees fleeing from the AoA's war on the Real World. The traffic jam seemed to extend infinitely both ahead and behind the Wong family.   
  
Janyu's family was getting restless and Janyu himself was growing frustrated. "Come on, that thing could come here any minute!"   
  
"I'm still worried about our children!" said Mayumi, Janyu's wife.   
  
"We can't do anything about them now, honey. We have no choice but to trust their Digimon to protect them." Janyu sighed. "I just hope we'll still be around so they have a family to come home to..."   
  
The Odaiba area near Tokyo Bay had already been demolished. With nothing left to do there, Destromon moved his rampage deeper into Tokyo. He travelled westward to the district of Shinjuku, leaving utter devastation in his path. His cannons banged as they lobbed shell after shell into the homes and offices of the citizens. His machineguns pelted a corporate building until it was filled with holes like Swiss cheese. The JSDF had long evacuated the area so no one was in danger.   
  
"Come on! He's going to reach Shinjuku soon!" cried Ryo. Justimon soared through the air with Beelzemon right behind him.   
  
Destromon had run into the Guard Tamer forces that remained behind to protect the Hypnos building. It was clear from the destruction of the nearby buildings that the two sides had engaged in battle. Unfortunately, the Guard Tamer forces had lost, even with Megas fighting on their side. However, from fighting both the Guard Tamers and the Digimon Tamers, Destromon did suffer a moderate amount of damage. Justimon glanced at the battered bodies of Destromon's former opponents.   
  
As the Digimon King, Ryo instantly recognized them. The first was Anubismon, a tall half man, half jackal hybrid. He had blue skin and wings with brown feathers on his back. This Digimon was clothed in noble Egyptian garb and jewellery. His ally, Imperial Dramon, was a hulking dragon that was encased in black, cybernetic Chrome Digizoid armour, and had blue skin. Ryo recognized him as being partnered to Davis Motomiya and his old friend Ken Ichijoji, two characters from the Digimon TV show. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Anubismon   
Attribute: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Element: Holy/Dark   
  
Anubismon is the warden that guides the data of dead Digimon to rebirth. He is a rarity among Digimon kind since he can wield both light and dark powers adeptly.   
  
Attacks:   
Amemit - This creature of the night is known as the "Eater of the Dead." Anubismon summons him to attack his enemies.   
  
Pyramid Power - Anubismon can create pyramids made of positive energy that zaps enemies on contact. He can encase himself as a protective shield, or trap his foe inside.   
_**

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Imperial Dramon   
Attribute: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Element: Metal   
  
With the endangerment of the Veemon species, the Imperial Dramon species was thought to have vanished from the Digital World. The Gold Hawks have saved this species' predecessors from extinction and enlisted them in their armies.   
  
Attacks:   
Positron Laser - Imperial Dramon can fire a concentrated beam of energy from the cannon mounted into his armour.   
  
Mega Crusher - Instead of as a beam, Imperial Dramon can fire energy in multiple, rapid bursts from his cannon.   
_**

  
Ryo began to wonder how his old friend Ken was doing. He remembered his mission and turned his thoughts to a way of beating Destromon. Justimon intervened in Destromon's fun and kicked him in the back of the head. Beelzemon followed suit, took aim, and fired his Corona Blaster into the small of Destromon's back. Again, the attacks toppled the robotic dragon man, but they didn't keep him down for long. He got up and turned to face his attackers. Beelzemon and Justimon entered combat ready stances to prepare for their enemy's retaliation.   
  
Destromon was filled with ennui. "You guys again?"   
  
"Yeah, that's right! Don't think you're going to get rid of us that easily!" reminded Beelzemon.   
  
"Looks like you guys just don't know when to quit. It's time I taught you a lesson!"   
  
Destromon flooded the air with the bursting of shells. Justimon and Beelzemon were pushed into the defensive and began shielding themselves with their arms. Andromon and Marine Angemon entered the battle and opened fire, but Destromon's armour just absorbed the shock of the shots un damaged. The two Digimon fled for cover as he turned around and started shelling them.   
  
"Man, what does it take to stop this guy?" asked Kazu.   
  
Justimon and Beelzemon recovered. "Justimon, use your sword and make a nice dent for me," requested Beelzemon. "I've got a plan, but I'll need some time to set up."   
  
"Yeah, I get it!" replied Justimon.   
  
Justimon unsheathed a dangerous blade of orange energy and charged at Destromon. He weaved left and right and evaded all of his opponent's shots. He reached Destromon's massive body and began to bounce up to the dragon man's head, dodging each of Destromon's attempts to swat him off. Justimon slashed Destromon's head and the dragon man reared back in pain. On the way down, Justimon made a huge overhand slash, just as Beelzemon finished drawing a pentagram in the air for his Corona Destroyer attack.   
  
Beelzemon fired repeatedly through the pentagram, and it amplified each shot's power greatly. Destromon was shoved backwards with each hit until he lost his balance and fell onto his back. Beelzemon knew that he had dealt the dragon man a severe blow. Though Destromon did return to his feet, Beelzemon could see the marks and dents he had created. With that and Destromon's previous injuries, he didn't seem nearly as invincible as before.   
  
However, Destromon was also enraged by being a victim to such a powerful attack. The dragon man pounded the area with a seemingly endless stream of bursting shells. One by one, the Digimon fell to the relentless assault, beginning with Beelzemon and ending with Marine Angemon. Justimon charged the dragon as a desperation move, and evaded each of the explosions. Eventually, his attack came to an end as Destromon clawed him out of the air and hurtled him into a building.   
  
The building crumbled and buried Justimon alive under its rubble. Kazu began to panic and fled as Destromon moved to his location. It was a futile gesture as Destromon's huge size allowed him to cover great distances with each step. A sparkling trail of azure light left Destromon's cannon. The slug travelled unerringly forward, striking and burning a hole through Kazu's right leg. A bloody mist sprayed out of Kazu's leg moments before he collapsed.   
  
Kenta heard an agonized scream and saw a trail of blood leading up to his friend. He was paralyzed with fear. With that grievous injury, Kazu was no longer capable of standing, let alone run. He was in too much pain to notice that Destromon had caught up to him. Kazu was about to be crushed underfoot when Andromon darted over at maximum speed to stop Destromon's foot. Even with Andromon's immense strength, Destromon was still far too heavy.   
  
"I can't hold on much longer!" warned Andromon. "Kenta get him out of there!"   
  
Kenta was still paralyzed with fear. Before Destromon's foot sank and crushed Kazu and Andromon, a powerful golden glow emanated from them. The massive Destromon was blinded and taken aback. "What?"   
  
Kazu was now fully healed by the light. "Biomerge activate!"   
  
Kazu's clothes disintegrated and the power of Digivolution drew Tamer and Digimon together. "Andromon, Biomerge to..."   
  
A vision of a vast laboratory appeared. Andromon was on an operating table with mechanical arms working on him. They removed his old armour and encased him in a sleek, black Chrome Digizoid exoskeleton. The arms finished by attaching a red, dragon head-like protector to his left shoulder, and a blue one on his right. The new, higher tech Andromon leapt off the table and split into two. They spun back to back in a circle, and burned everything to the ground with green lasers. Upon landing, they merged into one and struck a triumphant pose.   
  
"High Andromon!" 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: High Andromon   
Attribute: Vaccine   
Level: Mega   
Element: Metal   
  
When he is split into two, High Andromon can be quite a clown. Nevertheless, he shouldn't be underestimated as he incorporates the most powerful weapons technology available to the Digital World.   
  
Attacks:   
Atomic Ray - High Andromon can fire destructive green beams of pure nuclear energy. Fortunately, their radioactivity only lasts for a very brief moment.   
  
Copy Paste - With a preying gesture, High Andromon can channel power to create a single temporary duplicate of himself. Each individual copy has only 75% of the original's power, but any injuries received apply to the original once they reunite.   
_**

  
Kazu opened his eyes and gazed upon the world for the first time as a Digimon. "Whoa, cool! I'm a Digimon! Wait 'til the others hear about this!"   
  
"So you Digivolved to Mega. Like that will help..." mocked Destromon.   
  
"You have caused enough damage already, scoundrel!" said Guardromon. "It is time that I, High Andromon, bring you to justice!"   
  
High Andromon began by leaping into the air and opening a bay in his chest. Several volleys of rockets pounded Destromon in the chest. As he landed, High Andromon entered into a preying stance before his duplicate leapt out of his body. Destromon recovered and shelled the two High Andromon, but they leapt in different directions. Unable to keep track of them both, Destromon decided to focus on fighting only one of them.   
  
The two exchanged fire until the High Andromon vanished into thin air. "Copy..." said High Andromon.   
  
His duplicate leapt out of his body. "...Paste!"   
  
Behind Destromon, the other High Andromon split into two again and fired a glowing green beam. The duplicate mirrored the attack, and the beams struck the unsuspecting Destromon in his left shoulder. The explosions triggered secondary explosions from the detonation of his ammunition and severed his left arm. Destromon traced the attack and discovered the two High Andromon.   
  
"GRRRRR..." growled Destromon.   
  
"Are we..." began one of the High Andromon in Guardromon's voice.   
  
"...annoying you?" continued the second with Kazu's voice.   
  
Indeed, the two High Andromon couldn't be more irritating. Destromon flew into a rage and promptly charged at the two. The High Andromon dodged again, leaping into opposite directions. A shot came from the left, so Destromon swivelled to find his attacker. Destromon fired a rail gun slug, but the High Andromon evaded with immense speed. Suddenly, a beam struck Destromon in the back of the head and felled him.   
  
As he rose to his feet, the High Andromon continued the taunting. "Don't get up. What's the rush?" asked the High Andromon with Guardromon's voice.   
  
"When you fight High Andromon, your back always faces us!" mocked the Kazu duplicate.   
  
"We're too much for you!" the two clones declared in unison.   
  
"You can't beat one..." began the Kazu duplicate.   
  
"...so don't try two!" finished the Guardromon duplicate.   
  
Beelzemon, Justimon, and Marine Angemon surrounded the fallen Destromon. "Kazu, you Biomerged?" asked Marine Angemon.   
  
"Yeah, that's right!" replied the Guardromon copy.   
  
"We've just retaken the fight!" replied the Kazu copy.   
  
"Oh great, the rhyming twins..." mumbled Beelzemon.   
  
"He getting up!" said the Guardromon clone.   
  
"Let's finish him off!" said the Kazu clone. "Atomic...   
  
"...Ray!"   
  
The two High Andromon clones fired at Destromon and the other Digimon joined in. In a brilliant flash of light, Destromon exploded into nothingness. "Yeah, we won!" exclaimed Marine Angemon.   
  
Yamaki and his crew pulled up beside the Tamers. "You did it kids! I don't believe it but you actually beat him!"   
  
High Andromon split back into Kazu and Guardromon. "It was nothing..." said Kazu with an air of cockiness.   
  
"Nothing at all..." said Guardromon. The Tamers and Digimon chuckled leaving Yamaki wondering what was so funny. As they laughed, a black helicopter took off from the Hypnos Towers unnoticed...   
  



	11. The Amaterasu Massacres

  
  
Digifan:   
Actually, there are 6 Biomerged Digimon now. They're Gallantmon, Sakuyamon, Mega Gargomon, Justimon, Cherubimon, and now High Andromon.   
  


  
  
Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.   
  


  
  
**  
  


**

  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3 

  
  
Chapter 11: The Amaterasu Massacres   
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
Megadeath sighed as he entered his room in Amaterasu City. Just hours ago, the Online Tamers of Zhuqiao City had started a rebellion to retake their city. Megadeath took part in the quelling of the revolt and the AoA crushed the rebellion after a fierce battle. Despite being victorious, Megadeath did not feel like a winner at all. As he fought the rebels, he saw a fire in their eyes that most people did not have.   
  
This fire was from a refusal to be oppressed and a desire to be free once again. He saw a people willing to fight to the death for freedom. They were a people who would never give up the fight for freedom. The AoA only won because they had superior Digimon, both in numbers and in quality. Yet, even with such power, the constant rebellions would eventually take its toll and be the death of the AoA government.   
  
The AoA did not come to the Servers by choice. Rather, events in their home world had forced their hand. Before, the AoA used to be followers of Overlord GAIA, the genocidal AI that nearly wiped out humanity. To complete his genocide of the human race, Overlord GAIA had created the ultimate biochemical weapon, Blight. However, Overlord GAIA was eventually confronted and killed by humanity's avenger, True GAIA.   
  
After Overlord GAIA's death, Overlord GAIA's followers had separated into various schisms. The various factions fought amongst each other, with the Guard Tamers entering the fray to purge the last of Overlord GAIA's followers. Though a world wide war was bad, the situation became worse because of the Blight. His creation would continue to plague the world long after his death.   
  
The Blight had mutated to such a degree that it gained a sentience of its own, albeit a crude one. Like a plague, the Blight began to spread across the world. The various factions were so enthralled in their petty squabbling that they ignored all warnings of the Blight's threat. Eventually, the Blight had consumed much of Asia, and the entirety of Africa and South America. Once the Blight began attacking the lands of the factions, it was too late... 

  
  
****************************************   
  


Megadeath reminisced on the events which brought him to this point. His memories brought him back to a news report of a horrifying massacre. "The world was shocked by a surprise attack on Washington DC by unknown creatures," began a male news anchor.   
  
The news played footage of the slaughter; a sight that was sure to terrify even the most courageous heart. Several creatures from beyond the grave rushed into the city and began to butcher anyone that entered their sights. These creatures looked as though they were the creation of a seriously deranged mind. They were the corpses of people with greenish mould spots growing all over their bodies. These corpses were given an unholy new life and were dubbed the "Blight Spawn."   
  
The cameraman panned from a female news reporter to a crowd fleeing from several Blight Spawn dogs and cats. The Blight Spawn tackled anyone they could reach to the ground, and proceeded to tear them limb from limb. The cameraman heard the reporter scream as a Blight Spawn dog pounced on her. An off camera Blight Spawn felled the cameraman, who dropped his camera on the ground. A gout of blood splattered on the camera before something jarred the camera and cut off the video feed.   
  
Over the course of several months, the factions lost more and more ground to the Blight Spawn. Eventually, they were forced into hiding in the most arid and harsh areas of the world. They were also under constant threat from the Guard Tamers, who still viewed the factions as enemies due to their shady past with Overlord GAIA. One faction, the AoA held a meeting to determine the fate of their people.   
  
In the regal walls of a parliament building, the AoA leaders discussed their course of action. "Mister Chairman, every day, we lose more of our sons and daughters to the war against the Blight! We can't go on like this! If we continue to fight, it will be the end of us all!" stated a cabinet member.   
  
The parliament broke into discussion until Magami, then only a cabinet member, requested time for a proposal. "Sir, I recognize the dilemma we are facing. I propose that we leave this world and colonize another as our new home."   
  
This proposal was very controversial as it meant leaving the world behind. The parliament broke into various discussions. "Order, order! Mr. Magami has the floor," stated the chairman.   
  
"Thank you, chairman. I believe that the only way we can survive is to leave the world we have lived in for generations. My proposal entails the sending of agents into a corresponding Real World to start an information technology company. This company will use computers to create a new realm in the Digital World where our people will take refuge."   
  
The parliament debated this controversial proposal and there were many supporters for both sides of the argument. The AoA held a popular election which resulted in 60% of the people voting Magami into office. One there, Magami wasted no time in enacting his plans, creating the new realm under the guise of creating the new virtual reality game, Digimon Online. As a result, Amaterasu Server was created, followed by Ikaruga, Izumo, Yamato, and finally Asuka.   
  
Everything seemed to progress smoothly until tragedy struck Amaterasu Server. A massive explosion rocked its Admin Centre, resulting in a high death toll numbering in the hundreds. A car bomb had been driven and detonated into the Admin Centre's east wing. It had been flooded by thick black smoke and people coughed as they fled the area. The east wing housed the Digimon Lab for the city, and many Online Tamers were visiting the facilities at the time. A similar bombing had occurred in Zhuqiao City at the same time.   
  
These bombing came just minutes after another bombing in a Chrome Digizoid mine in the North Sector. At the bottom of the mine was the central computer that controlled the fail safes that prevented death and injury. This bombing took down the computer and allowed the victims of the later bombings to die rather than respawn at a nearby crypt. The people were angry and demanded that someone pay for these crimes. Magami denounced the attacks and vowed to hunt down the perpetrators wherever they may be.   
  
It wasn't long before Amaterasu News broke the story on the culprit responsible for the bombings. "Breaking news, official sources have identified the group responsible for the Amaterasu terrorist attacks as 'Hypnos.' We bring you live to Susan, who is standing before the Admin Centre with details," reported a male reporter.   
  
"Thanks Tom," said the reporter named Susan. "Hypnos is a group of Real World radicals who view the AoA's presence as colonialism and conquest." The news displayed a picture of Shibumi on the TV. "They are led by this man, Goro Mizuno, who also goes by the name of Shibumi. His Hypnos group is believed to have ties to other extremist groups who want to expel the AoA from the Servers." 

  
  
****************************************   
  


These events had led Megadeath and the AoA to this point. "Are you okay Megadeath?" asked one of Megadeath's Hagurumon partners.   
  
Megadeath broke out of his reminiscing. "I'm fine," he replied.   
  
"We just got new orders," said Megadeath's second Hagurumon partner. "A mob is in front of the Admin Centre, protesting the war. We're supposed to go there and provide security."   
  
Megadeath sighed. "Oh great... And I just came back from fighting a rebellion! Oh well... Let's go guys."   
  
Megadeath and other AoA soldiers and Digimon landed on the roof of the rebuilt Amaterasu Admin Centre in their helicopter. As Hagurumon Two had said, there was a sea of people as far as the eye could see. Some of the people waved signs in the air while others were chanting anti-war slogans to denounce the AoA's war. The mass of people congested the road, effectively blocking the way to the Admin Centre. Megadeath and his comrades moved to the streets in preparation to quell the protest should it turn violent.   
  
"No war on the Real World!" cried a protester.   
  
"War on the Real World is unjust!" cried another protester, who was holding a sign with a picture of Destromon attacking Tokyo crossed out. The protesters advanced on the riot police, chanting anti-war slogans all the way.   
  
The officers raised their shields in defence and held their ground. The AoA brass grew impatient with the police's inability to break up the protest. "Megadeath, do you copy?" asked Megadeath's commanding officer.   
  
"Affirmative," replied Megadeath.   
  
"Proceed with operation Alpha six. Eliminate all rioters!"   
  
"Sir, with all due respect, these people are defenceless!"   
  
"As you were, Megadeath. Proceed with operation. Eliminate all rioters!"   
  
"I will not attack defenceless civilians!" protested Megadeath, before turning to his squad. "All units: abort mission and return to base. I repeat: abort mission and return to base!"   
  
"All units belay that order. Detain Megadeath, his Digimon, and then proceed with the operation."   
  
Megadeath's squad immediately turned against him and attempted to capture him. He took great offence and flattened the first soldier that moved on him with a haymaker. A strong, orange- skinned tyrannosaur Digimon, Greymon, blindsided Megadeath with a fireball. Megadeath's three Hagurumon partners immediately retaliated by pelting the offending Greymon with jet black gears. Eventually, they too were overwhelmed by the other AoA soldiers and Digimon.   
  
The AoA soldiers and Digimon imprisoned the Hagurumon within a pocket dimension while others chained Megadeath up. They loaded the prisoners onto a humvee and drove it back to base. The remaining AoA soldiers and Digimon took positions around the protesters and opened fire. Chaos erupted on the streets of Amaterasu as the protesters fled in panic. One of the shots felled a young woman, who was eventually trampled to death by panicking people.   
  
A Digimon ascended to Mega level in a burst of golden light, becoming a massive mechanical dragon. This biped creature, Machinedramon, shelled the crowd with the guns mounted on its shoulder. Each shot punched giant craters into the ground and left charred corpses strewn about. Some of the more courageous Digimon attempted to buy time for the people to escape by resisting the AoA military. Among these resisters was an Ex Veemon, a biped dragon with blue scales and white wings and underbelly.   
  
The Ex Veemon fired a beam from the "X" shaped emblem on his belly. Several other Champion level Digimon joined with him and struck the Machinedramon with concentrated fire. The attacks connected with the chest of the Machinedramon with no effect. The Machinedramon turned his attention onto the other Digimon and proceeded to shell them with energy blasts. They were cut down with deadly speed and crumbled into data.   
  
The massacre continued with more and more people being blown to pieces by energy blasts. When the violence finally subsided, the crowd had been dispersed completely, but those that thousands that still remained were all dead. The Digimon victims had been disintegrated; their flooding the air around the Admin Centre before vanishing. Though the supporters of reform had been extinguished, the flames of rebellion only burned brighter. 

  
  
****************************************   
  


The battle raged on in the Central Park, where the AoA clashed with the resistance forces of Asuka. From the south came the forces of Suzaku City, led by Suzaku Leader, filled with dark Digimon and Digimon native to the seas, jungles, and swamps of the south. From the east came the forces of Seiryu City, led by Seiryu Leader and their allies. The fighting was fierce and brutal, with each side exchanging fire endlessly.   
  
Pharaohmon directed his troops from the back lines. He was flanked by a pair of Mummymon bodyguards, whose eyes scanned for enemies from the openings in their bandages. Appropriately, the two Mummymon were mummies like Pharaohmon was. Unlike Pharaohmon, they were common soldiers that lacked the regality of their master. They carried assault rifles, wore a purple bandanna on their heads, and had white bandages covering their bodies. The two Digimon looked less human due to their grey, lifeless skin and clawed feet.   
  
"Enemy attack!" cried the voice of an alarmed Digimon.   
  
The mummies looked at the direction of the sound to see other Digimon being felled by AoA Andromon. The Mummymon placed their bodies in front of their master to protect him. However, Pharaohmon made them move out of the way so he could deal with the enemy himself. He used his Necro Mist ability, spraying a violet, toxic haze onto the Andromon. The Andromon began to cough and gag as the Necro Mist rendered them totally helpless.   
  
"Okay guys, get them!" ordered Pharaohmon. After being pelted by fire from the Mummymon, the Andromon crumbled into fragments of data.   
  
The AoA occupation of Asuka began to collapse under the pressure of the invasion. Plumes of flame and black smoke rose into the air as buildings and vehicles were reduced to ruins and wreckage. Behind enemy lines, a flash lit the sky and a Bulbmon tumbled out of a rift in time-space and landed with an earthshaking thud. In several columns of light, Amar as Marsmon and the Biomerged Megas of the Tamers appeared.   
  
"Our orders were to secure the area around the Admin Centre. Let's get to it!" exclaimed Esmeralda over the radio.   
  
Sakuyamon made the first move and used her Amethyst Wind technique to blow several magical cherry blossom petals. The petals flung several AoA soldiers and Digimon into the ground, and drew the attention of other troops. A clown-like Digimon with a supernatural aura confronted the Digimon priestess. Rika recognized the Digimon as Piedmon, a Digimon from the TV show and one of the Digidestined's major enemies. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Piedmon   
Attributes: Virus type, Mega level, Dark element   
  
This clown is a powerful illusionist and one of the most cunning tricksters amongst Digimon kind. A Piedmon was one of the four Dark Masters who terrorized the Digital World in the TV show.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Flight, undead   
  
Trump Sword - Piedmon's swords, the Trump Swords, can be swung or thrown up to four at a time as projectiles. Some of the swords may be illusions, so beware.   
  
Clown Trick - Piedmon can produce a variety of circus-related effects with this ability. For example, Piedmon can throw rings of fire or blasts of light with Clown Trick.   
  
_**

Piedmon wore the most gaudy clothing ever imaginable. He wore a frilly red coat, a pair of baggy green pants, and yellow boots. Covering his face Digimon was a mask with a black right half, and a white left half. This mask left his jaw exposed, which was covered by white cosmetics typical of a clown. Strapped to his back were four sheathed swords arranged like the letter "X." The clown Digimon began his attack by flinging four Trump Swords.   
  
In response, Sakuyamon launched a Spirit Strike, with each of the four elemental foxes striking one of the swords. The two attacks neutralized each other, returning the two Digimon back to where they started. Sakuyamon blew cherry blossom petals at Piedmon, who countered by firing rings of flame and burning the petals. Once again, the two Digimon were locked into a stand still, as they each measured the other.   
  
"Why don't we get up close and personal, hmm?" asked Piedmon, as he drew a Trump Sword.   
  
Sakuyamon entered into a combat stance in preparation to fight with her staff. The clown Digimon made the first move and charged at Sakuyamon. The sword clanged against the staff as Sakuyamon parried Piedmon's opening blow. The two warriors exchanged blow after blow on the ground and in the air, but each combatant parried the other's attacks. Eventually, Piedmon broke the stalemate, slashing Sakuyamon across the cheek. The wound stung, and a minute amount of data leaked out of the cut.   
  
Piedmon made a decapitating swing for Sakuyamon's head, but overextended and left himself open to attack. She ducked under the offending swing and smashed Piedmon in the stomach and through the window of a supermarket. The glass window shattered into an uncountable number of shards and scattered all over the floor. The clown Digimon landed in the produce section, crashing through the displays and getting fruit juice splattered all over his body. Piedmon was disgusted as he picked himself off the ground.   
  
Piedmon threw a volley of four Trump Swords but when Sakuyamon tried to swat them away, they unexpectedly vanished. Suddenly, the real swords blindsided her and racked her body with so much pain that she collapsed. Piedmon hovered over her and prepared to stab downwards to finish her off. Sakuyamon recovered and rolled out of the way, and Piedmon's sword went into the ground instead.   
  
Piedmon looked up only to see a storm of cherry blossom petals flying his way. Before he knew it, the petals were on him and he was blown back into the supermarket. She followed with a well-placed Spirit Strike that fatally pierced through Piedmon's body. The clown Digimon crumbled into bits of data before vanishing into thin air. Sakuyamon took a deep breath in relief and as her constituents, Rika and Renamon, relished their hard fought victory.   
  
Gallantmon blasted an AoA Digimon into oblivion before calling Akira on the radio. "Akira, we've taken over the Admin Centre. Go in and clean them out!"   
  
A minute later, a flash of light appeared in the sky as a Bulbmon materialized. It dropped onto the east wind of the Admin Centre, crashing through the roof and landing on the ground with a thud. The AoA in the lobby were surprised, but regained their bearings shortly and opened fire. Their shots had no effect on the polyhedral Digimon. A hose and nozzle emerged from Bulbmon and spewed roaring flames. It swayed back and forth, flooding the whole lobby with fire and forced the AoA to take cover.   
  
In a flash of light, two hulking suits of powered armour appeared. They were metal robots with clawed hands and feet, and a crimson sensor on its hands and chest. Each carried a large, energy firing Gatling gun that was far too heavy and bulky for a human. The pilots were visible through a dome at the top; one of which was a ghostly Bakemon and the other a Guard Tamer soldier. Below this dome was a fleshy left eye that peered out of one of several vertical slits. These robots were Mekanorimon aligned with the Guard Tamers. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Mekanorimon   
Attributes: Virus type, Champion level, Metal element   
  
Mekanorimon is a Digimon that can not act on its own, and needs a pilot to control its actions. The Guard Tamers equip it with weapons and use it as a suit of powered armour for breaching hostile areas.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Flight, controlled by a pilot   
  
Twin Beam - Mekanorimon's main weapon is a potent beam fired from a crimson sensor located on his chest.   
  
_**

The Mekanorimon stormed into the lobby with guns blazing, moving down those few AoA who couldn't retreat behind cover in time. Their guns banged endlessly as they pinned the AoA down with suppressive fire. An AoA soldier peeked out of a side door and opened fire, drawing the Mekanorimon into returning fire. From the balcony across the lobby, a soldier peeked out and fired a rocket into the Bakemon's Mekanorimon.   
  
The resulting explosion floored the powered armour Digimon, leaving a blast hole in its chest. The Guard Tamer's Mekanorimon turned to the attacker and mowed him down with a barrage of energy. He dropped from the balcony and landed on the floor with a thud. More Guard Tamer soldiers and Digimon poured into the room and began shelling the balcony with explosives. The AoA sustained heavy casualties and were forced deeper into the Admin Centre.   
  
Outside, a Guard Tamer jet copter made a beeline for the skies above the Admin Centre. As it hovered in place, it beamed in Digimon, including two more Mekanorimon. The Mekanorimon smashed the door open as they led the march into the Admin Centre. Immediately, a hail of energy pattered against their armour, to which they replied by returning fire. The copter's door slid open and several soldiers in exoskeletons jumped out and followed the Digimon in.   
  
The Guard Tamers and Digimon swept the building, gunning down any AoA soldier or Digimon that resisted their capture of the Admin Centre. It did not take long before the Guard Tamers had taken complete control of the building. They pinned the AoA leadership in the heart of the Admin Centre before they chose to surrender. This event caused a surge of morale to ripple across the Asuka invasion force, propelling them to victory.   
  
Asuka City had been liberated, and the Tamers reunited after being separated for so long. Suzie ran to her brother Henry and he gave her a big hug. "Henwy!"   
  
Henry had been worried to death about Suzie and was relieved to see she was unharmed with his own eyes. "Suzie, I'm happy to see you're alright!"   
  
She grabbed Terriermon from Henry's shoulder and put him into a vice-like hug. "Terwiermon, I missed you so much! Are you happy to see me?"   
  
"Uggggh... Acch..." gasped Terrierimon.   
  
"Akira," began Henry. Akira turned to face Henry. "Thanks for taking care of my sister. It means a lot to me."   
  
"Hey, no problem at all," dismissed Akira. "I have a sister too; an older one actually. I know how you feel."   
  
Nearby, the Rika and Seiko made their own reunion. "Rika, I'm so glad to see you! You don't know how worried I was!" exclaimed Seiko, as she hugged her granddaughter.   
  
After the reunions, Shibumi came to give a bittersweet report on his progress with the Admin Centre's central computer. "I've got good news and bad news. Which would you to like to hear first?"   
  
"The good news," requested Takato.   
  
"I was able to hack into the computer and shut down Asuka Server's shield. We're free to leave whenever we want!" Everyone was elated to know that they could return to the Real World.   
  
"Brace yourselves, here comes the bad news," predicted Terriermon.   
  
"Yeah, I couldn't do the same to the other Servers," admitted Shibumi. "We're going to have to find another way in."   
  
"I knew it!" muttered Terriermon.   
  
"How can we stop the AoA if we can't even get to them?" asked Rika.   
  
"Did you try the codes from the Bulbmon?" asked Henry.   
  
"Yeah, but the AoA changed the access codes," replied Shibumi. "I've tried every hacking trick I know, but nothing worked. We're going to have to look for another way of getting into the other Servers."   
  
"Let's let this go for now," recommended Seiko. I think I speak for everyone when I say I'm tired." Everyone agreed unanimously.   
  
Akira called Central Command to send a jet copter for pick up, and soon, everyone returned to the Real World. When they laid eyes upon Tokyo City, they were shocked to see it in ruins. Many buildings had been levelled, and huge blast craters littered the streets. The devastation formed a trail that led eastward towards the Odaiba area. Firefighters were desperately attempting to extinguish a fire that had erupted in a nearby office building. The sights stirred old memories of Vikaralamon's rampage through the Shinjuku area.   
  
"Look at all the destruction!" exclaimed Henry.   
  
"What happened here?" asked Jeri. She looked over at the Hypnos Towers to find that the trail of destruction ended there. At the end was the largest of all the blast craters in the entire city.   
  
"Did a Digimon Bio-Emerge while we were gone?" asked Renamon, as she glanced at the crater.   
  
"We should talk to Yamaki as soon as possible," stated Takato.   
  
The Tamers, Akira, and Esmeralda rushed over to the Hypnos Towers to get the scoop. They eventually found the other Tamers in deep thought in a nearby room. "Hey! You guys made it out!" exclaimed Kazu.   
  
"Yeah," replied Guilmon.   
  
"What happened while we were gone?" asked Rika.   
  
"This Digimon named Destromon popped up somewhere in the ocean and walked all the way to Tokyo. It wiped out the American and Japanese navy before coming into the city," replied Kenta.   
  
"...But we stopped him, yep, and guess who Biomerged to Mega to do it?" asked Kazu.   
  
"Let me guess; you?" asked Takato.   
  
"Why how did you know?" replied Kazu. Kazu proceeded to describe everything that happened. "I guess this means I'm as good as Ryo now..."   
  
Rika was put off by Kazu's boasting. "Oh please, anyone can tame Digimon better than that hack!"   
  
"I guess the AoA decided to make an unwanted visit," commented Darkfryer.   
  
"A O what?" asked Kazu. Akira told Kazu and the others about who the AoA were.   
  
"Wow, that's some cool video game!" said Kenta.   
  
"Man, I should play Digimon Online more often!" said Kazu.   
  
"That was no game," said Henry.   
  
"Yeah, we're getting shot at by terrorists and you think it's fun?" asked Esmeralda. Kazu and Kenta shrugged their shoulders.   
  
"Hey kids," began Yamaki, before he noticed the others had come in. "Oh, you came back! I'm glad to see you. We have an emergency. Someone broke in and accessed Hypnos' files! Those files contain sensitive, top secret information."   
  
"What is in these files?" asked Akira. "I mean, what might the AoA be looking for in the Hypnos files?"   
  
"AoA?" asked Yamaki. Akira realized that Yamaki was not in on what happened in the Servers. He told him about the battles against the AoA and the liberation of Asuka City. "Hmm, I believe the AoA would certainly be interested in Juggernaut and Yuggoth for starters..."   
  
"What is Juggernaut and Yuggoth?"   
  
Yamaki explained what Juggernaut and Yuggoth were. Both were names of special programs that Hypnos used to deal with Digimon who Bio-Emerged into the Real World. Yuggoth was a special program designed to delete a Digimon as it tried to breach the Real World-Digital World barrier. Yuggoth had been converted into an energy weapon to fight the D-Reaper and installed on Grani, an artificial life form that served as Gallantmon's transport. Since Yuggoth had already been used as a weapon, it could be converted to be even deadlier in AoA hands.   
  
Juggernaut was a program that created gateways to the Digital World. When activated, it acted like a small, artificial black hole. Hypnos used Juggernaut as a vacuum to suck all the Digimon from the Real World back into their own world. Unfortunately, Juggernaut's first use backfired and allowed the tiger Deva, Mihiramon, to enter and attack the Real World. Fortunately, the Tamers were able to intervene and eliminate the Deva before he could cause any serious damage.   
  
Hypnos used the Juggernaut program again to stop a destructive rampage by the pig Deva, Vikaralamon. Their plan would have worked, had it not been for the interference of the monkey Deva, Makuramon. Despite these failures, the Juggernaut program truly shined when it was employed against the D-Reaper. Hypnos used it to devolve the renegade D-Reaper program to such a degree as to wipe it out of existence. It wouldn't be too difficult to for the AoA to turn Juggernaut into a weapon as well.   
  
"I see," said Akira.   
  
"Destromon was probably a distraction so they could break in and get the files," noted Lillith.   
  
"Yeah, I have no doubt about it, but we can't really do anything about it right now," said Yamaki. "Why don't you take a rest? I'm sure you're all tired. We can discuss what to do a little later." 

  
  
****************************************   
  


The Tamers took Yamaki on his advice, and the Tamers' families and friends planned a celebratory dinner for the homecoming of the Tamers. They discussed the plan, deciding that each family should contribute some food for variety. In their home the Nonaka family were busy preparing for the dinner. The doorbell rang and Rika answered the door to find the Matsuki family on the other side.   
  
"Oh hi, come in!" said Rika. The Matsuki family entered and hung up their coats on nearby hooks.   
  
Rumiko Nonaka, Rika's mother, greeted the Matsuki family, and looked at the desert pastries they brought with them. "Wow, those look delicious! My mouth's watering already!" Rumiko received the pastries and set them aside in the kitchen.   
  
One by one the other families came to the Nonaka home. The second family to come was the Wong family, who brought ingredients for shark's fin soup, a Chinese delicacy. Next came the Kato family, who contributed two bottles of fine French wine. Eventually, each Tamer's family and their friends in Hypnos came with a contribution to the dinner. The last to come was Akira, Esmeralda, and their Digimon, who had brought some strange food.   
  
Amar showed Rumiko the two large jugs he carried with him. "Since the kids can't drink wine, we brought along something that everybody can drink."   
  
"What is it?" asked Rumiko.   
  
"It's soy milk," replied Esmeralda. "...But not just any soy milk. This soy milk is vitamin-enriched, and coconut flavoured."   
  
"Mmmm, sounds delicious! What did you bring, Akira? Apples?"   
  
"Actually, meat apples," corrected Akira. He pointed at each type of meat apple in turn. "The ones with brown centres are beef, the pink ones are pork, yellow is chicken, and the white ones are mutton." All of the apples were coated by a fragrant blend of powdered spices and ready to cook.   
  
"Sounds interesting. I'd like to try them."   
  
"We treat them in the Digital World the same way you treat meat. I need to cook'em up so can you show me where the kitchen is?"   
  
"Oh sure," replied Rumiko.   
  
Rumiko showed Akira to the kitchen, passing by Yamaki, who began a toast to the safe return of the Tamers and their victory in Asuka Server. The adults clinked their glasses together and took a sip from their wine. After finishing work in the kitchen, the dinner started and everyone sampled the bonanza of food. They savoured the smooth, tasty shark's fin soup of the Wong family to the exotic dish of seasoned meat apples.   
  
"These taste great!" admitted Guilmon.   
  
"Yeah," agreed Terriermon. "What were they called again?"   
  
"Seasoned meat apples," replied Esmeralda.   
  
"They taste great, but the texture is a little unusual," said Riley.   
  
"I guess it's because you're used to eating normal meat," suggested Esmeralda. "It's not easy to get normal meat in Digital City. Most of our land is desert so we need as much of its as possible for vegetables. We eat meat apples because they use less resources to raise than animals."   
  
The dinner finished with pastries from Takato's bakery. Guilmon elated since he was able to get delicious Guilmon bread. It was shaped like his head and filled with sweet melted peanut butter; his favourite kind. Lillith tasted some of Yoshie Matsuki's apple strudel and found it very sweet with a velvety texture. Suzie loved the soy milk that Esmeralda brought to the party. After dinner, the adults stayed a little longer to have conversations and gossip.   
  
Rika decided to walk off her meal and eventually made her way to the garden outside of her home. She spotted Takato talking to Jeri, Kazu, and Kenta, the other members of his class. She kept her eyes on Takato constantly, not realizing she was staring at him. She couldn't take her eyes of him and her heart began to race. Rika was so enthralled that when Esmeralda came to talk to her, she didn't even notice.   
  
"Rika?" Esmeralda looked at Rika, and then followed her line of vision to the Takato and the others. "Rika!"   
  
Esmeralda's voice jarred Rika back to reality. "Huh? Oh sorry! I didn't know you were there."   
  
"I was saying that I enjoyed tonight's dinner. What was so fascinating?"   
  
"Oh nothing..."   
  
"Nothing, hmm? From the look of you, I'd say you were staring at Takato..."   
  
"I was not!" objected Rika, who turned beet red, giving herself away in the process.   
  
Esmeralda smiled. "Ooh, Rika's got a crush on Takato!" she chimed.   
  
"I do not!" objected Rika, but she blushed, her face turning red and betraying her once again.   
  
"You've got it bad for him, girlfriend!" chuckled Esmeralda. "Ooh! I know! Why don't you tell Takato how you feel? He's right there; I'll bring him over so you lovebirds can get together!" Esmeralda made several kissing gestures with her lips before going to Takato.   
  
Rika was more embarrassed than ever at the thought of Takato finding out. "No, wait!"   
  
Esmeralda pulled Takato out of his conversation with his classmates and brought him before Rika. "Did you want to see me, Rika?" asked Takato.   
  
For a moment, Rika was speechless. "Oh, it was nothing, nothing at all..." said Rika, as she averted her gaze.   
  
Takato went back to Kazu, Kenta, and Jeri, disappointing Esmeralda greatly. "Why didn't you tell him? You had the perfect opportunity!"   
  
"I can't. I just can't." Rika walked away, leaving Esmeralda to wonder what was going on.   
  



	12. The Megadeath Faction is Born

  
  
Ninetalesuk:   
Yep, I've read your story and wrote a review for it too.   
  


  
  
**  
  


**

  
  
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3   
  


  
  
Chapter 12: The Megadeath Faction is Born   
  


  
  
  
  
  
  
The next day, the Tamers held a meeting at the Hypnos Towers to plan their next move. "So what do we do now?" asked Kazu.   
  
"We go after another Server," replied Akira. "The AoA would not be limited to just Asuka Server."   
  
"Yeah, but which one should we go after?" asked Takato. "There are like five of them, well four now, since we won in Asuka."   
  
"Amaterasu was the first Server my company created for Digimon Online," noted Shibumi. "Because of that, the AoA would have invaded it first."   
  
"That would also mean the AoA would be heavily entrenched there," noted Darkfryer. "All their attack would be based from Amaterasu."   
  
"The problem is, how do we get to Amaterasu?" asked Esmeralda. "They've got that shield, remember?"   
  
The AoA shield over each Server was a major obstacle that stumped the Tamers. "How did the AoA get into Asuka using Bulbmon despite it being shielded?" asked Henry.   
  
Shibumi thought hard until he suddenly made a great revelation. "Of course! How could I have forgotten 'that!'"   
  
"Tell us, what is it?" asked Yamaki.   
  
"Each of the Servers are connected by a network of tunnels that lead to the others. That's how they got in! They bypassed the shields by going through the emergency tunnels!" exclaimed Shibumi.   
  
"So, can we use these tunnels to get into Amaterasu ourselves?" asked Seiko.   
  
"Yeah, but first we need to find a hole. Once we do, we'll need to find some way of digging into the ground, a map to guide us, and a destination. I can get the map from Asuka's archives."   
  
"I can dig," offered Guilmon. "I'm good at digging. Just tell me how deep!"   
  
"Oh please, no more guard duty! It's so boring!" lamented Kazu.   
  
Kenta supported Kazu's sentiments. "Yeah, we were bored to tears until Destromon showed up!"   
  
"Okay, okay... I was intending to bring along anyways," said Akira. Kazu and Kenta cheered upon hearing that.   
  
The Tamer troupe looked at maps of Amaterasu Server from the Hypnos computers. Akira decided that the best place to set up would be a fairly remote region in the world. The team agreed to emerge in the North Sector, which was a mountainous arctic region. The Tamers went their separate ways to prepare for the extended stay in Amaterasu. Jeri was left without a partner after Leomon's passing, so she turned to Palmon, her game partner, instead. With their preparations complete, the Tamer troupe departed for Amaterasu's North Sector.   
  
The Guard Tamer convoy gathered in front of a small hole to the southeast of Asuka City. "Okay Guilmon, dig a nice big hole for us!" requested Takato.   
  
"Okeydokey!" replied Guilmon.   
  
The fiery dinosaur began to shovel dirt out of the ground, widening the hole large enough for the convoy to enter. The Bulbmon, trucks, and Digibeetles rolled into the ground and began their journey to Amaterasu. Though thee tunnels were relatively tight, they were still big enough for the large girth of the Bulbmon. It was dark underground, even with head lights illuminating their way. In such dark, confined quarters, the risk of an enemy ambush was extremely high. Fortunately, the trip proved to be uneventful.   
  
The convoy travelled along until it emerged in a most bizarre realm. Emerald spectral zeros and ones floated in space, forming a lengthy cylindrical corridor. A tightly bound group of these zeroes and ones, or bits, formed a translucent, crimson strip across the length of this corridor. It was like going through the tubes of a water slide. The crimson strip was fairly wide and large enough to fit two lanes of traffic. Being extra wide, the Bulbmon had to occupy both lanes as they rolled onto the strip.   
  
"I'm getting multiple unidentified contacts on my radar! They're coming from behind!" cried Esmeralda.   
  
The Tamer troupe glanced at their rear to see a horde of Digimon flooding into the corridor. Each of these Digimon looked like a purple insect cocoon with a ring of spikes around its neck. They also had a prominent crimson horn on their forehead, and a stinger on their abdomen. Though cocoons normally shouldn't have limbs, these ones had a set of six stringy tendrils that functioned as such. Each was tipped with a sharp spearhead. These creatures floated into the corridor endlessly, and opened fire on the convoy. 

  
**_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Chrysalimon   
Attributes: Virus, Champion level, Dark element   
  
For his Digimon line, Chrysalimon plays a role much like a cocoon would for insects. Though weak for a Champion level Digimon, Chrysalimon become dangerous in great numbers and are often found in swarms.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Hovering, tunnelling   
  
Data Crusher - Chrysalimon can fire bolts of yellow energy in self-defence.   
  
Unconnect Buster - Chrysalimon can lash his wiry tendrils and impale his foes on their points.   
  
_**

"Return fire!" cried Akira.   
  
Akira's Bulbmon turned towards the Chrysalimon and uncurled itself. Akira, released Bulbmon's flamethrower from its body and began to hose the enemy with roaring flames. The intense fires disintegrated those Chrysalimon unfortunate enough to be caught it their path. Missiles swooshed out of the Bulbmon's weapons bays, riddling the corridor with explosions and smoke. The combined attacks barely slowed down the Chrysalimon.   
  
"They're not stopping!" cried Seiko.   
  
"Everybody, keep going!" commanded Akira. "Get us much distance between us and the enemy as possible. Takato, once we're through, fire your missiles on to the roof to seal the tunnel behind us!"   
  
"Okay, I got it," replied Takato.   
  
Akira bobbed Bulbmon's flamethrower in every direction imaginable, making sure not to miss any of the Chrysalimon. Shibumi manoeuvred Bulbmon safely out of the corridor, and Akira gave the word to fire. Several missiles swooshed out of Takato's Bulbmon, striking the roof and initiating a cave-in. Several tons of earth tumbled onto the Chrysalimon, burying them alive and barring the path of those that survived.   
  
After mopping up the ones that had successfully passed through the cave-in, the convoy continued on its way. They found their way to an exit hole and Guilmon dug his way out of the ground. Immediately, he was greeted by a sudden gust of cold air that gave him chills. Being a fire Digimon, Guilmon preferred warmer climates rather than the cold arctic mountains of the North Sector. The group had found themselves at the base of the snow covered Snow Mountain.   
  
The Guard Tamers promptly established their base and Guilmon was thankful to be out of the cold. Soon after, they launched a probe into the sky to survey the area. The probe was like a GPS satellite, but could show only the local area rather than the whole world. The Guard Tamers scanned the area with the probe and gathered tactical information. The Guard Tamers, needing to be acclimatized, began training for battle in the cold rugged terrain of the North Sector.   
  
The Tamers practiced in a special training area set up beside their base. Kazu pulled submachine gun from a nearby rack. "Cool, I get to fire one of these babies!"   
  
"What kind of a weapon is this?" asked Kenta as he gazed at what looked like a shotgun.   
  
"It's an automatic shotgun that fires elemental energy as ammunition," replied Akira. He showed Kenta a cylindrical cartridge that had fiery crimson energy visible within. "These cartridges are like converters that determine what element your gun will fire. This cartridge makes your guns shoot fire based energy."   
  
Akira continued his explanation of the elemental auto-shotgun. He demonstrated how to change elements by removing Kenta's lightning cartridge and replacing it with the fire cartridge. The shotgun also needed ammo, so Akira showed Kenta how to change magazines. Akira instructed Kenta to take some practice shots and get a feel for how it fired. Though Kenta tried his best to hit the targets, much of the damage was spread into empty space.   
  
"You can also change your fire mode by tweaking that switch near your thumb. It allows you to increase the distance when your shell will explode."   
  
Kenta flicked the switch with his thumb and fired again. This time, he got a tighter ammo spread and wasted less of the ammunition. "I don't get it. Why don't you just keep it tight all the time?"   
  
"Well, shotguns tend to be used on closer targets. They work best when you spread the damage more evenly over the target," replied Akira. "You saw that happen yourself. When you shot the targets, they got hit in the chest and face at the same time."   
  
The Tamers and their Digimon continued to train and adapt to the harsh conditions of the North Sector. After a few days, they were ready for missions and held a meeting at the briefing room of the command centre. This room was much like a small classroom, but with the latest in audio visual equipment such as holographic projectors. Akira was the speaker for this briefing, and their ultimate goal was to liberate Amaterasu Server.   
  
The first step towards this goal was to capture Xuanwu City and use it as a beachhead to attack the rest of Amaterasu Server. At present, the AoA weren't aware of the Guard Tamers' presence in the Servers. Akira wanted to capitalize on this advantage as much as possible and take the city before the AoA could marshal a defence. To do this, they needed to establish find a way into the city.   
  
"Xuanwu City is the most heavily fortified city in this Server, even more so than Amaterasu City," began Akira. "The city is surrounded by mountains and the only way into the city is through the gate at the south." Akira pointed to a wall at the south portion of an overhead map of Xuanwu City. "Instead of going through this heavily guarded gate, I want to use a tunnel so we can bypass this checkpoint entirely."   
  
Akira's tunnel would begin from a cave the Guard Tamers had discovered inside Freeze Mountain and end somewhere in Xuanwu City. Once the tunnel was done, the Guard Tamers could come and go as they pleased. The problem was the danger of being spotted while they created or used the tunnel. If that someone alerted the AoA, the element of surprise would be lost. Therefore, someone would have to get into Xuanwu first and secure the other end.   
  
"I would like Takato and Guilmon to go on this mission. Guilmon can dig from the other end as well and we could finish the tunnel open in half the time," requested Akira. "Do you accept this mission?"   
  
"Well, what do you say boy? You up for it?" asked Takato.   
  
"Yeah, I'll dig a really good tunnel for you, Akira!" replied Guilmon.   
  
"Excellent!" exclaimed Akira. "Now we need a few more volunteers and we're set."   
  
"Let me go," requested Rika.   
  
"I'm coming too so I can keep my eye on you, Rika," requested Seiko.   
  
Akira got a brilliant idea. "Wonderful! You've just given me the perfect cover to sneak you guys in!"   
  
With the composition of Guilmon's team settled, they now needed the items necessary to complete their mission. These items included equipment, a vehicle, money, and passports to enter Xuanwu. A few days later, the Guard Tamers brought in a modest looking grey mini van they stole from a hot springs resort near the volcanic Boot Mountain. They had also created forgeries based on a passport stolen from people on vacation at the hot springs.   
  
"Here are your passports, key, and money," said Akira, as he handed everything over. "Once you get into the city, buy property somewhere out of the way and contact us."   
  
Guilmon's team thanked him and another Guard Tamer showed them how they were refitting the mini van. They watched as the workers sealed guns and other items in special plastic bags. These bags were for smuggling the items past the checkpoint without being discovered by sniffing Digimon or metal detectors. The mechanics pulled out the seats of the mini van and concealed the items within them. Once the preparations were completed, Seiko drove the van to Xuanwu City.   
  
Seiko pulled up to the Xuanwu check point. "Let's see some ID!" called the guard. He scanned the passports and searched the van afterwards. Seeing nothing wrong, the guard let her pass.   
  
The team purchased property at the fringes of Xuanwu that had a dilapidated warehouse on it. "Okay we're in. We're going to start digging the hole," reported Takato over the radio. He transmitted his location to the Guard Tamer base.   
  
"Roger, we'll begin at our end too," replied Akira.   
  
Guilmon began to dig through the ground at the basement of the warehouse. On the other end, a Guard Tamer Drimogemon tunnelled his way towards the warehouse. Using their equipment, the Guard Tamers coordinated Guilmon and Drimogemon's digging. The two tunnels eventually met each other when Guilmon pulled out a piece of dirt and saw the others through the hole. The Guard Tamers immediately widened and strengthened the tunnel. They brought some equipment over and quickly established their second base under the warehouse.   
  
Over the following days, the Guard Tamers went on various covert missions. They had successfully placed wiretaps on the Xuanwu central office and could hear every message the AoA sent. It came as no surprise when the AoA's communications mentioned a Xuanwu resistance organization. This organization was headed by a fellow who went by the Russian alias of "Comrade Piotr." After some legwork, the Guard Tamers managed to arrange a meeting with Comrade Piotr.   
  
Akira, Shibumi, and their Digimon glanced vigilantly at the night scenery in Xuanwu's city park. Two figures and their Frigimon bodyguards approached the two Tamers in conversation. "So, these are the ones who wanted to meet us?" asked the first, a bald, rugged African man.   
  
"That's right, I'm Goro Mizuno, but you can call me Shibumi," said Shibumi, who extended his hand for a handshake.   
  
The African man shook Shibumi's hand. "Glad to meet you, I'm the man they know as 'Comrade Piotr.' It's just a misnomer to throw people off. My real name is Nassor Ghana and this is Sven. You're a very famous person around these parts, Shibumi."   
  
"Yeah, so I've heard," chuckled Shibumi, mocking the AoA's ridiculous lies and how they portrayed him as a violent terrorist.   
  
"I don't trust him. You're shaking the hand of the guy who bombed the Admin Centre!" objected Nassor's companion, Sven.   
  
"Hey, that's just a load of propagandistic bullshit and everyone knows it," denounced Nassor. "Anyways, it's nice to have you on board. We could really use someone like you on our side. Who is the kid?"   
  
"I'm Commander Akira Violet of the Black Sword Guard Team," replied Akira. "I may just look like a kid, but I'm probably older than you are!"   
  
Nassor was surprised. "A Guard Tamer? Man, politics makes for strange bedfellows..."   
  
"Great, we have a terrorist joining our ranks and now Guard Tamers?" asked Sven with indignation.   
  
"I take it you're not too found of us," commented Akira.   
  
"You bet! You guys are the enemy! You're attacked us back in our home world!" complained Sven.   
  
"It is as much my world as it is yours!" retorted Akira. "Even with GAIA gone, you guys just made it worse by turning on each other! Now, you're causing trouble for Shibumi's world, or at least you were, until you turned against the AoA!"   
  
Nassor was getting annoyed. "Okay, that's enough! Akira, we did NOT come to this place to invade Shibumi's world. We originally came because the Blight forced us to."   
  
"The Blight? What do you mean?" asked Akira.   
  
"The Blight had mutated for some reason," said Nassor. "It became self aware and began to multiply and attack the world. Many of our people died as we fought back, but it was all in vain. We could not drive it back. We feared the worse and so fled here."   
  
Akira understood. "I see... I'll consult the Guard Tamers about this. Maybe they can find a way to help you."   
  
Nassor nodded. "Yeah thanks, but right now, we need to take care of the AoA. Magami can't be allowed to advance his agenda at the people's expense any longer."   
  
"So Magami's the ringleader..." muttered Shibumi.   
  
"That's right," replied Nassor. "He came forward with the plan to create Digimon Online and evacuate here. We viewed him as our saviour, but his power got to his head and he is now urging for a war on the Real World. We now have a common enemy, Magami and his supporters. Consider us allies."   
  
With their alliance formed, the Xuanwu resistance and the Guard Tamers continued their operations in the city in preparation for their eventual coup of the city. They discovered that a prominent AoA soldier, Lord Megadeath had been imprisoned in this city. He was there as punishment for disobeying an order to attack unarmed protestors. The resistance forces believed Megadeath would be favourable to their cause and an icon to incite further opposition against the AoA. They concocted a plan to break him out of his prison and recruit him. 

  
  
****************************************   
  


In the meantime, Megadeath's captors led him to prison in Xuanwu City. The transport truck pulled up to a checkpoint at the base of a massive defensive metal wall. This wall made Xuanwu City look more like a fort than a city. On this wall were several cannons with the largest being placed predominately at the centre. This central cannon was the city's long range artillery cannon. On the catwalks about, AoA guards and Digimon kept watch for any intruders. This was one prison he would not be escaping from.   
  
Though many enemy combatants were locked up here, many political prisoners were kept here too. Xuanwu City held the chief prison for the AoA. Megadeath knew that there would be consequences for his actions. His crime was insubordination, or disobedience to your commanding officers, and carried a stiff penalty. It came as no surprise to have been found guilty in a court-martial. So, he was sentenced to the prisons of Xuanwu City.   
  
The soldiers led him to massive penal facility at the far northern section of the city. Though Megadeath wanted to escape, his handcuffs prevented him from fighting his way free. He watched as his Hagurumon partners, trapped in confinement cubes, were carted off to another section of the prison. Megadeath himself was led to a section for human prisoners, and rudely tossed into his cell and sealed in by the guards.   
  
Megadeath got to his feet and found he was not alone. A gruff unshaven man with unkempt brown hair shared the cell with him. "So what are you in for?" he asked.   
  
"They dumped me here because I refused to shoot a crowd of protesters," replied Megadeath.   
  
The man sighed. "Oh, you mean the Amaterasu protests? Man, did that ever turn out ugly... I'm Jack, nice to meet you." The man extended his hand and the two prisoners shook hands.   
  
"I'm Lord Megadeath," replied Megadeath. "...Or rather I was Lord Megadeath until they put me here."   
  
"Lord Megadeath, as in the AI soldier Megadeath? The same Megadeath who killed over a thousand Blight Spawn in a single battle?" asked Jack.   
  
"It seems my reputation precedes me..." replied Megadeath.   
  
"Wow! I'd never thought you'd wind up here... If you of all people are here, then we're really in big trouble!"   
  
"How did you come to be here?"   
  
"I was put in here for similar reasons as you. I was supposed to help quell a revolt in Zhuqiao city, but I refused. I couldn't bring myself to kill my own people, especially since all they wanted was freedom."   
  
"I was there," noted Megadeath. "I helped quell that revolt."   
  
"What made you refuse to attack the protestors?" asked Jack.   
  
"I felt that was wrong. The crowd was protesting the AoA's actions non-violently, yet I was asked to attack them anyways. At that point, something inside me just snapped."   
  
"So it seems like the Amaterasu massacre was the straw that finally broke the camel's back, right?" asked Jack.   
  
Megadeath nodded. "After the Amaterasu massacre, I fear the violence will only get worse. More people are going to choose open, violent revolt and the AoA is going to crack down on dissent even harder."   
  
"I hear you buddy," agreed Jack. "...But as long as we're here, we can't really do anything about it."   
  
The two prisoners remained in jail for almost a week. During their stay, they were forced to work in mines as part of their debt to society. Occasionally, the two would get free time, and Jack would play football with the inmates, while Megadeath acted as referee. As they played, they were unaware that they were being spied upon with binoculars. Days went by uneventfully until the two received gifts from their sympathizers.   
  
"Okay guys, we have gifts for you today," announced the guard as his comrades opened the cell.   
  
Megadeath was handed a strawberry cake and Jack received a letter from his family. Jack read his letter as the two shared their desert. After finishing the cake, Jack was about to toss the foil away when he noted something odd about it. It had been folded over, as though to seal something inside. When he unfolded the foil, Jack found a note inside that was addressed to Megadeath. He picked it up and gave it to his buddy.   
  
"To Megadeath: we are going to bust you out," read Megadeath.   
  
"Who's busting you out?" asked Jack.   
  
"I have no idea. The sender never put his name on it."   
  
"How are they going to do that?" asked Jack. "This place is under heavy lock and guard. There's no way..."   
  
Suddenly, the lights flickered off but moments later, only a few of them came on. From overhearing the guards' conversations over the radio, the prisoners discovered that the power had went out. This emergency caused the prison to switch to back-up power. Everything was fine and under control until an explosion rocked the prison. Megadeath and Jack looked outside to see a guard tower engulfed in flames. A rocket propelled grenade zinged towards a second guard tower and wiped it out.   
  
"What's going?" asked Jack.   
  
"It looks like they're trying to bust me out!" replied Megadeath over the noise and chaos.   
  
"Man, it looks more like an assault rather than a jail break!" commented Jack, noting the immense force the attackers employed on the prison.   
  
The alarm rang and guards scrambled for their weapons to repel the invaders. The sound of gunshots and smaller explosions could be heard elsewhere in the prison. In the basement, Guilmon ripped the ground open and a squad of Mekanorimon troops emerged from the hole. They walked on ahead and cleared out any guards that may be lurking in the prison. An unfortunate guard ran afoul of one of these powered armour Digimon. The Mekanorimon raised its Gatling gun and mowed the guard down swiftly.   
  
One of the Mekanorimon eventually made its way to Megadeath's area. The guards hid behind a doorway and opened fire. The prisoners dove to the floor and covered their heads. The two sides alternated exchanging fire, but the Mekanorimon won out. Once the situation calmed down, Megadeath and Jack glanced at the markings on the Mekanorimon. Megadeath was surprised once he discovered who their rescuers were.   
  
"Guard Tamers!" exclaimed Jack.   
  
"Guard Tamers? What are they doing here?" Megadeath wondered.   
  
The two heard a series of repeated beeps indicated that the integrity field around their cell door had gone down. The door popped open and the two came face to face with Nassor and his henchmen. They spirited Megadeath and Jack away from their cell and into the tunnel the Mekanorimon used to break in. As they left, the Xuanwu resistance leader declared their mission a success called a general retreat.   
  
Outside, Kazu bragged about the shot he made on the towers. "Man, did you see that shot? I hit that tower dead in the center!"   
  
"Okay, okay, we know you made a good shot!" said Esmeralda. "They've found Megadeath, so let's get out of here!"   
  
The resistance forces fled the prison and returned to base with Megadeath and Jack in tow. "Why did you break me out of jail?" asked Megadeath.   
  
"You're the one who can give people like us unparalleled legitimacy," replied Nassor. "At least that's in your case. In Jack's case, he pretty much came along for the ride."   
  
"Yeah, forget old me. I'm not important at all!" complained an indignant Jack.   
  
Sven chuckled. "We were under pressure and wanted to finish the mission quickly. As for you, Megadeath, we went to you because you were a high ranking member of the AoA. If you decided to rebel, your clout would send a strong message to the people."   
  
"You're an icon to them," admitted Nassor. "Your defection would show that even those within the military do not agree with AoA policy. The Servers need someone like you on their side. We need you on our side. Please join us."   
  
"Hmmm," mumbled Megadeath. "This is so sudden. I'll need to time to think about this..."   
  
"Okay, we know this is a sudden thing to ask," said Nassor. "...But you can make a big difference. I hope you'll say 'yes.'"   
  
Nassor and Sven left Megadeath and Jack alone in their room. "Well, Jack what are you going to do?"   
  
"Personally, I'm leaning towards joining," admitted Jack. "I have a wife and two kids to think about. If I could make the world a better place for them, I'd do it."   
  
"I don't have a wife and kids to motivate me like you do, Jack," admitted Megadeath.   
  
"Yeah, but I'm sure you have your own reasons for what you do. You said you didn't want to attack the protesters. Why did you refuse? You knew you would be jailed for that. Why did you do it anyways?"   
  
Jack's questions certainly got Megadeath thinking about his reasoning. Megadeath began to reminisce about quelling the Zhuqiao revolt and his objection to attack Amaterasu protestors. Eventually, his thoughts turned to the time he spent talking to Jack about why he refused to shoot the protestors. Megadeath knew that what the AoA did since coming to the Servers was wrong. The AoA's exodus to the Servers was to ensure their survival as a people. It was not meant to be a stepping stone towards Real World conquest.   
  
Megadeath realized that Magami had corrupted the spirit of the AoA's exodus. A rush of patriotism filled him. "I refused because it was wrong. We came here because we wanted to keep our people and our culture alive. Our people have been conquerors for GAIA, and now Magami. Never again!"   
  
"Well said!" exclaimed Jack.   
  
Megadeath, now empowered by feelings of patriotism, called Nassor back and agreed to join. The news spread through the underground of Xuanwu City, starting a wave of patriotism which spread among those resisting the AoA. It served as a great morale booster and more people began to join the struggle. Megadeath came to be viewed as a figurehead for the revitalized movement. This was the dawn of the Megadeath Faction.   
  



	13. Rendezvous at Xuanwu

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_ Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit. **  
  
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Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3 

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** Chapter 13: Rendezvous at Xuanwu **  
  
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** After breaking Megadeath out of jail hours ago, Rika had some free time for herself. As she laid on her bed, she reminisced about her experiences with the other Tamers, especially Takato. In this boy she saw a greenhorn of a Tamer; a Rookie to her Mega. Here was Rika, the Digimon Queen; the girl who won the D-1 card tournament with utmost ease. Yet, despite her knowledge and skill, it took her far longer to learn the most important lesson in dealing with a Digimon.   
  
That lesson was to care about her Digimon partner. Rika and Renamon had battled many Digimon together and Renamon loaded great amounts of data. Nothing else mattered except battles to make Renamon more powerful. Yet despite all of this combat, Renamon still was unable to Digivolve beyond Rookie. Rika was quick to put the blame on Renamon when it was Rika herself that needed to change how she viewed and treated her partner.   
  
It wasn't an easy reform to make at all. She had never even considered making such a change until she met Takato for the first time. Their first encounter would not be the last. Each time Takato would spout off some sentimental rhetoric about how Digimon had feelings and should be treated with love and respect. She mocked his methods, thinking her way was the one true way to be a Tamer. Later on Renamon got into a fight with a Dokugumon that nearly cost her life. This was the first time Rika had ever truly feared for Renamon's life.   
  
After her adventure in Byakko, she began to care about Takato more than ever. She began to love him and couldn't understand why. Though she didn't realize it before, Takato was quite attractive and a sweet, sensitive boy. He was the one who taught her how to care about others and to love. It was him that awakened something that she thought was buried away forever. It was a side of her that she hid away after her father left her mother in divorce.   
  
Though it hurt her mother greatly, it hurt Rika far more than anyone ever knew. It hurt so much that Rika eventually retreated into the Digimon card game and Digimon Taming to ease her pain. Secretly, Rika put the fault for her parents' divorce on her mother, blaming it on her femininity. To Rika, it was her mother's femininity was an inexcusable weakness. She vowed to never to be weak like her mother. She closed her heart and became the tomboy that everyone knew of today.   
  
After everything that happened with the D-Reaper and at Byakko, her tomboy exterior began to crack. It was such a change that finally tore down the barriers that impeded Renamon's advancement. Now she truly understood the secrets behind a Tamer-Digimon relationship. Now that she has unearthed emotions that were so new to her, she ran into a new problem. She still didn't know how to let Takato know how she felt about him.   
  
Rika had made a fool of herself in the Guard Tamer prison. While on drugs, she had hugged Jeri thinking she was Takato. Naturally, Jeri took this to mean Rika had feelings that went beyond friendship for Takato. Jeri even confronted her with this and Rika denied the claims. That night, Rika had a strange dream that confronted her once again with the question of whether she really loved Takato. After the dinner at her home, she could no longer deny it. Rika loved Takato.   
  
As she laid in bed, Rika's turned beet red as she fantasized about all the things they could do together. She eventually began to think about ways of getting Takato to notice her. She couldn't think of any way and so decided to find and consult her grandmother. "Grandma..."   
  
"Yes Rika?" asked Seiko.   
  
A brief moment of silence passed before Rika finally worked up the nerve to speak. "How did you and grandpa meet?"   
  
"Well, we met back in high school. I was running to class and tripped over him. He helped me up and we started dating as time went on."   
  
"When did you know you were in love with grandpa and how did you tell him?"   
  
Grandma sighed romantically. "It was when we were studying together one night. Your grandpa helped me to learn and understand Miyamoto Musashi's writings. I thought he was so smart. It was then that I knew I loved him."   
  
"...And how did you let him know you loved him?"   
  
"Well, I made him a dinner and told him. It wasn't easy at first. I wasn't sure how he would react. When I finally worked up the courage to tell him, he told me he felt the same way too! We were married soon after high school. Why do you ask?"   
  
"Oh, no reason, just curious I guess. Thanks grandma!"   
  
"Anytime dear."   
  
After hearing her grandmother's advice, Rika decided that she would do the same to tell Takato about her feelings for him. However, Rika had no idea how to cook anything. The only time she had ever cooked was when the Tamers holed up in Takato's bakery during the D-Reaper incident. They had used his parents' equipment to bake some bread for consumption. Rika still believed having a dinner with Takato was the way to go.   
  
She had an idea and happened upon Akira. "Hey, Akira!"   
  
"Hmmm?" asked Akira.   
  
"Do you know any good places to eat in town?"   
  
"No actually... Why don't you ask Nassor? He might know of some place. I just saw him in the lounge."   
  
Rika thanked Akira for his help and found Nassor talking to other rebels in the lounge. "Uh, hi Nassor, I wanted to know if there were any good places to eat in town."   
  
"Sure, there's Chez LeBeau at Black Street," replied Nassor.   
  
"That sounds a little pricey. Is there anywhere else that's cheaper?"   
  
"Well, how about Mario's Pizzeria? It's on Warrior Street just south of here. I've eaten there and I can't recommend that place enough. The pizza there is great and it's not expensive either."   
  
"Thanks, I think I'll go there."   
  
With the place of her date set, all Rika needed to do was to get Takato to go with her. She eventually found him returning from a training session. Rika pitched her idea to him, disguising it as a simple lunch between friends. Since he had worked up an appetite, Takato agreed and the two went out for pizza at Mario's Pizzeria. Although it specialized in pizzas, Mario's also served other forms of Italian food. It was a quaint, dimly lit restaurant with a comfortable air.   
  
The two Tamers munched down on their Hawaiian pizza. "So this is what they eat over in America. This is great!" commented Takato between bites.   
  
"Um, we've been Tamers for a long time now," began Rika. "We've faced many adventures together as Tamers. When we've been friends as long as we have, some people say it can grow into something more..."   
  
Though Takato listened, he didn't quite understand what Rika was trying to say. "What do you mean?"   
  
"I'm saying that we should be more than just friends..."   
  
Takato began to put the pieces of the puzzle together and began to chuckle heartily. "Oh, I get it! I never knew you were such a kidder, Rika. You almost had me going there... For a moment, I thought you were trying to say you were in love with me!"   
  
Takato continued to chuckled at Rika's "attempt" at humour, but she grew annoyed and got caught up in the heat of the moment. "Listen Gogglehead, I'm serious! I love you and I want us to be together!" After a brief, silent pause, Rika became embarrassed upon realizing what she had just said.   
  
Takato looked at her with the glimmer of realization. "You're not kidding, are you?"   
  
"No..." replied Rika meekly.   
  
Takato turned beet red. "I don't know what to say. I've never had a girl come out and tell me she loved me... How long have you felt this way?"   
  
"Since before dinner in my house, maybe even earlier," replied Rika.   
  
"Earlier? Like when?"   
  
"...Like after we fought the D-Reaper, but I didn't know for until the dinner."   
  
Takato was caught off guard completely. "I don't know what to say. This is all so sudden."   
  
"Then tell me you feel the same!" demanded Rika.   
  
"I don't know what I feel. I need time to think about it." Though the Tamers finished their meal, the air was thick with tension after Rika's admission of love. They would not forget this moment every time they met in the future. _  
  
_ _  
  
_

* * *

_  
  
_ _  
_ The Megadeath Faction continued their guerrilla operations in Xuanwu City, gathering supplies and disrupting enemy infrastructure. Megadeath's leadership and familiarity with AoA operations was the best weapon the Faction could ever hope to wield. It wasn't long before the Faction had acquired enough supplies for their ultimate goal; to capture Xuanwu's Central Office. The Faction began its coup by softening up the AoA's forces with several sneak attacks and ambushes.   
  
An AoA humvee convoy travelled down a fairly calm road on afternoon. Within the vehicles, the soldiers scanned the crowd of people for attackers and members of the Faction. One of the humvees rolled over a manhole cover and suddenly, an explosion rocked the streets. The humvee burst into the flames and the soldiers inside were killed instantly. The trailing humvees jammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the wreckage.   
  
Suddenly, several the sounds of several gunshots filled the air and the people ran for cover. The convoy had come under attack by the Faction. The soldiers began to manoeuvre their humvees away from the shots, accidentally running over some of the fleeing civilians. The AoA returned fire on the Faction guerrillas shooting at them from the nearby buildings. Akira turned out to be one of the attackers and returned fire from his position behind cover.   
  
From the floor above, Darkfryer threw a sphere of concentrated negative energy at the humvee. It disintegrated its rotating gun and the soldier manning it. The humvee began to swerve and turn the over way to avoid Akira's line of fire. Lilith shot volleys of negative energy claws at the humvee which struck and disintegrated several holes into it rear door. A second humvee pelted Akira's position forcing him to take cover.   
  
Akira was pinned down. "Hey guys, a little help here!" he cried into his radio.   
  
"No problem!" replied Esmeralda on the other end. "Keep them busy and I'll get you out!"   
  
The damaged humvee passed by Esmeralda and she shot out its tires with her gun. The humvee hobbled down the street slowly with its busted tire. Amar walked out of Emeralda's building and latched onto the rear of the humvee, preventing it from fleeing. With a mighty burst of strength, he lifted it over his head and tossed it into the nearest vehicle. It struck the second crushed the soldiers inside with the discordant sounds of clanging and twisting metal.   
  
This act turned the convoy into a four vehicle pileup that clogged the streets of Xuanwu. The surviving soldiers desperately wiggled their out of the windows and made a run for it. "Nice pileup!" commented Akira as he gazed at the humvee wrecks.   
  
Elsewhere, the battle was just beginning. The members of the Megadeath Faction waited silently outside of an AoA base for their opportunity to strike. Several soldiers scrambled for their vehicles and sped out of the base. Akira's diversion worked like a charm and had drawn the AoA away from their base. Only a small skeleton crew had remained leaving the base with minimal defence. Once the vehicles moved far enough away from the base, Ryo ordered the attack.   
  
At once, Jeri's Palmon Digivolved to Togemon and Impmon Warp Digivolved to Beelzemon. Beelzemon flew on ahead with Cyberdramon to begin bombing the base. Halfway there, several enemy Digimon appeared before them in a flash of blue light. The battle lines drew themselves with the Faction's Digimon confronting each enemy one on one. Beelzemon confronted a Skull Mammothmon, a giant skeletal elephant wearing a golden armour on its head and trunk.   
  
_  
_

> **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Skull Mammothmon   
Attributes: Vaccine, Mega Level, Dark Element   
  
This undead mammoth is proof that not all Vaccines are good and just. He is a zealot who hunts Virus Digimon, often persecuting ones that have done nothing wrong.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Undead   
  
Spiral Bone Crusher - Skull Mammothmon can fire his tusks like a pair of missiles. As they fly at their target, the tusks spin so as to drill a hole through the victim. _**

_  
  
_ Beelzemon pulled out his handguns and unloaded several roads into the body of the undead mastodon. The shots ricocheted off Skull Mammothmon's bones and he grunted in pain. Once Beelzemon stopped firing, the undead mastodon fired his tusks as retaliation. The demon lord banked left and right to evade but the final tusk nicked his wing painfully. The undead mammoth continued the barrage and Beelzemon retreated back for some breathing room.   
  
"You bag of bones! Don't think I'm through with you yet!" cried Beelzemon.   
  
Beelzemon make a "V" gesture with his fingers and pointed to Skull Mammothmon. His Corona Blaster cannon magically appeared and Beelzemon pulled the trigger. With a massive bang, a sphere of rose energy burst out of the cannon and struck the undead mammoth. A great explosion consumed the area, leaving a smouldering crater and a thick cloud of smoke behind. It seemed that the Corona Blaster did the trick. Suddenly, Skull Mammothmon burst out of the smoke and rammed Beelzemon into the ground!   
  
"Don't give up Beelzemon!" called Ai.   
  
"Why don't we use one of the cards Ryo gave us?" asked Mako.   
  
"Good idea, but which one?" asked Ai as she pulled out and looked at her cards.   
  
Ryo overheard Ai and Mako's dilemma. "Use Seraphimon's Seven Heavens! Skull Mammothmon is a Dark element Digimon. He's weak against holy attacks."   
  
Ai decided to take Ryo's advice. "Digimodify! Seraphimon's Seven Heavens activate!"   
  
"Alright Ai; good pick!" commented Beelzemon as the holy power of the great angel of Hope filled his being.   
  
Beelzemon dematerialized his Corona Blaster and cupped his hands to gather power. The energy coalesced into six golden spheres that surrounded a central seventh one in a circle. With a thrust of his hands, Beelzemon shot the Seven Heavens at his opponent. The attack struck with the force of a tactical nuclear strike and the resulting explosion consumed Skull Mammothmon. The undead mastodon crumbled into data and vanished into thin air. Beelzemon was victorious and his Tamers celebrated his triumph.   
  
At the same time, Cyberdramon went to work, wrecking the AoA military base and its facilities. Togemon fired a volley of Needle Spray which cut off soldiers and Digimon as they tried to interrupt him. Cyberdramon approached a nearby unoccupied tank and struggled to lift it over his head. Ryo slashed a strength enhancing card through his D-Power, causing new strength to surge within his Digimon. Cyberdramon tossed the tank, which punched a massive hole into the building.   
  
However, the cybernetic dinosaur was not done yet. Cyberdramon began pounding the building with blasts of negative energy. His Desolation Claw attack punched several massive holes into the base, making it look like Swiss cheese made of cement and steel. One of the blasts struck the tank's fuel tank, causing it to explode in a massive conflagration. The fires spread through the building rapidly, consuming it and rendering it useless for AoA activities. _  
  
_ _  
  
_

* * *

_  
  
_ _  
_ The Faction's attack was progressing according to plan. Akira and Esmeralda's campaign of ambushes and sneak attacks had kept the AoA's forces preoccupied and weakened. All the while, Ryo, Ai, and Mako razed AoA bases so they would have no where to return for resupplying. All that remained was the coup de grace; an assault on the Central Office itself. Megadeath led this assault as it was the most important portion of the attack.   
  
War Growlmon, Taomon, and Rapidmon advanced down the streets of Xuanwu on their way to the Central Office. Three Digimon appeared before them in a flash of blue light and barred their way forward. The first was the reanimated skeleton of some demonic creature. After scanning his opponents, the skeleton cackled maniacally and entered into a fighting stance. Takato recognized this Digimon as Skull Satamon from the Digimon TV show.   
  
_  
_

> **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Skull Satamon   
Attributes: Virus, Ultimate Level, Dark/Lightning Element   
  
Skull Satamon is the remains of a dead demon reanimated by dark magic. He is surprisingly fast for an undead creature and strikes at his foes with unholy lightning.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Flying, undead   
  
Nail Bone - Skull Satamon's staff is a powerful weapon that lashes out with unholy lightning.   
  
Skull Hammer - Skull Satamon can pound the ground with his staff. This causes an image of a skull to appear and creates a devastating earthquake. _**

_  
  
_ The second was a figure cloaked in a set of brown wizard's robes and a yellow hood. Upon spotting the Tamers' Digimon, the wizard cast a spell which materialized a trio of orbs that began to orbit his body. The red orb flared with vibrant flames. The blue orb constantly emitted a frosty gas into the air. Finally, the yellow orb seemed to sparkle with arcing electricity. This wizard Digimon, Wisemon, was not here to play games.   
  
_  
_

> **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Wisemon   
Attributes: Virus, Ultimate Level, No Element   
  
Wisemon is among the greatest wizards of Digimon kind. As a master of dozens of spells, he has a spell for every occasion. He is not one to shy away from blasting his opponent into oblivion.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Hovering, magic using   
  
Eternal Nirvana - Wisemon can create orbs that attack with elemental blasts. Each orb has a specific colour which corresponds to its elemental property; blue is ice, red is fire, and yellow is lightning.   
  
Pandora Dialog - Wisemon's spell book is known as the "Pandora Dialog." He can use it to summon evil spirits to attack his opponent. _**

_  
  
_ The last creature was the largest of them all being a massive skeletal dinosaur. He was more fearsome than Skull Satamon and made even more so due to his large size. His eyes glowed with a pale blue light that originated from the ethereal energies that animated his body. The Digimon roared and immediately charged at War Growlmon at top speed. Takato recognized this Digimon as a Skull Greymon, a corrupt Ultimate form for the Greymon species from the TV show.   
  
_  
_

> **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Skull Greymon   
Attributes: Virus, Ultimate Level, Dark Element   
  
Skull Greymon is a dark Digivolutionary form for the Greymon species of Digimon. This Digimon has an aggressive, vicious temperament and tends to go berserk in the middle of battle. He is one of the hardest Digimon to control because of this.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Undead   
  
Dark Shot - Skull Greymon's grotesque heart can produce organic missiles. These missiles are loaded onto his back and launched at the unfortunate victim. _**

_  
  
_ War Growlmon immediately charged towards Skull Greymon as well and the two Digimon met halfway. The two grappled with each other and began jockeying for position. Skull Greymon managed to get up close and bite his opponent's neck, causing War Growlmon to yelp in pain. Skull Greymon picked up the cybernetic dinosaur and tossed him into a group of nearby buildings. War Growlmon landed with a crunch as he crushed each of the buildings under his large girth.   
  
As War Growlmon prepared to get up, Skull Greymon set his hands ablaze with black fire for one of Digimon Online's techniques, Dark Fear. Once he gathered the needed energy, Skull Greymon threw the flames at his foe, dazing him momentarily. For good measure, the undead dinosaur fired a Dark Shot which tagged War Growlmon's chest and knocked him onto the ground once again. Takato slashed a speed enhancement card and suddenly, War Growlmon bolted upright and tackled Skull Greymon into a nearby clothing store.   
  
Taomon's battle with Wisemon was possibly the flashiest of all when compared to those of the others. Both Digimon were magicians and so had a wide variety of tricks they could draw upon to unbalance the other. Wisemon called upon his orbs, the Eternal Nirvana, to pelt Taomon with elemental blasts. Taomon simply raised a magical barrier in defence and weathered the attack without suffering any harm.   
  
Wisemon invoked the dark magic of the Pandora Dialog to call forth a swarm of evil spirits to attack Taomon. In response, she began shooting paper talismans at the ghosts which banished them back to the netherworld. Taomon continued to shoot talismans but this time her aim was at Wisemon. However, Wisemon held out his hand and the talismans began to slow and then stop, as though they were frozen in mid air. Wisemon released his magic and the paper projectiles fell to the ground and disintegrated.   
  
Rapidmon's battle with Skull Satamon was a great game of cat and mouse. Rapidmon fired a volley of missiles which Skull Satamon evaded by banking leftwards. Skull Satamon retaliated by arcing lighting from his staff to Rapidmon. However, the cybernetic man-dog hybrid leaned out of the way and the lightning soared past him and blew up a hapless phone booth. Rapidmon once again fired missiles only to have Skull Satamon bat them away with his staff.   
  
Rapidmon decided to changed tactics and move closer for his next attack. Skull Satamon immediately tried to smack his opponent with his staff. However, Rapidmon flew over the swipe and kicked the undead demon in the skull as hard as he could. Rapidmon threw Skull Satamon into a daze and backed away. He fired a Tri-Beam at point-blank range which shot Skull Satamon through the roof and into the middle of a convenience store.   
  
While the three Tamers kept the AoA forces pinned down, the Faction's entry teams hammered the Central Office. Several streaks of light zinged back and forth and bangs ripped through the sky as the two sides exchanged fire. A rocket propelled grenade swooshed from a window of the Central Office and exploded in a building next door. The blast had killed a Faction rebel on the third floor and wounded his two comrades.   
  
A Faction gunman fired several shots into a window and struck an enemy soldier fatally in the head. A Gargomon replaced the fallen soldier and pelted the gunman, who retreated behind cover for safety. The dog's bullets pitter-pattered against the side of the gunman's building. The bullets hit the glass window and shattered it into countless pieces. Once the Gargomon stopped firing, the gunman peeked out and returned fire, but the Gargomon retreated just like the gunman did.   
  
Elsewhere, an AoA helicopter gunship hovered over a battlefield and began to pound the rebels with machinegun fire. The barrage of energy mowed down three rebels as they tried to escape for cover. Though their comrades reached refuge in a nearby building, the helicopter fired a salvo of missiles which caved in the floor above them. All of a sudden, a fireball struck the helicopter's rotor from its left. The Hagurumon pilots abandoned their chopper before it crashed into and exploded on the ground below.   
  
Beneath the streets of Xuanwu was the sound of drills opening holes into the earth. Several Drimogemon were burrowing through the ground to reach the Central Office on the sly. They forced wall of earth open and found themselves inside storage room in the Central Office's basement. Several rebels stormed in and began to sweep through the rest of the building. One of the squads encountered an AoA guard and promptly gunned him down.   
  
An alarm Klaxon began to blare loudly once the AoA realized the office was being invaded. The warning lights flooded the halls in a crimson glow. The AoA soldiers scrambled for more weapons as their Digimon rushed to meet the invaders head on. A Faction Mekanorimon travelled down the halls. It met with the AoA's forces and unleashed an unrelenting hail of energy shots that lit up the hallways with blue light. _  
  
_ _  
  
_

* * *

_  
  
_ _  
_ Back at the Tamers' battle, War Growlmon picked up his opponent, Skull Greymon, and tossed him into the ground. The skeletal dinosaur landed with a thud as he crushed a series of parked cars under his body. Skull Greymon got up and threw a punch at War Growlmon's head. Takato's partner reeled in pain and Skull Greymon tackled him into the ground. The skeletal dinosaur stomped onto War Growlmon's head in an attempt to crush it under his heel.   
  
Suddenly, War Growlmon grabbed the skeletal Greymon's foot and pulled him off his footing. War Growlmon got up and leapt into the air to stab his opponent in the heart. However, Skull Greymon rolled out of the way and his blades got caught in the street. Skull Greymon took advantage and fired a Dark Shot into War Growlmon's exposed side, freeing him and knocking him off his feet. The battle had degenerated into a slugfest and Takato needed to gain the advantage as soon as possible.   
  
Takato looked over his cards and got a brilliant idea. He told War Growlmon to grab Skull Greymon and leap into the air. At that time, he would slash a card that would finish Skull Greymon off. War Growlmon followed along with Takato's strategy made a swipe at his opponent with his arm blade. Skull Greymon dodged and made a right hook for War Growlmon's chin. However, Takato's partner evaded and made a hard jab to Skull Greymon's heart.   
  
War Growlmon caught his foe as he keeled over and slung him over his shoulder. The cybernetic dinosaur leapt as high into the air as he could with his opponent in tow. Takato slashed Phoenixmon's card through his D-Power, giving his partner a single use of that Digimon's Starlight Explosion attack. War Growlmon immediately burst in a flash of golden positive energy. The attack blew Skull Greymon into a massive hole in the ground before he crumbled into bits of data.   
  
Taomon and Wisemon exchanged magical blasts back and forth. Taomon drew a mystical character with her brush that glowed with magical power. The character shot out at Wisemon, who blocked the attack with a barrier of raw magic. The mysterious wizard called upon the powers of the Pandora Dialog to send evil spirits forth. Taomon swatted them away with her brush and attempted to move closer.   
  
Wisemon retaliated by firing elemental blasts from the orbs that orbited his body. However, Taomon shielded herself and ploughed through the blasts to Wisemon's surprise. Taomon wiped the expression off his face by slapping it with her brush, then firing a Thousand Spells at point blank range. Wisemon fell onto the ground on one knee and was reeling. Taomon drew a Talisman of Light which struck her vulnerable opponent and killed him.   
  
Rapidmon tackled Skull Satamon into the fifth floor of an office building. The two Digimon burst through the wall, causing rubble to tumble onto the street below. Rapidmon backed off and launched a Rapid Fire volley into the hole which caved the building in on his foe. As the mechanical rabbit watched the rubble, Skull Satamon burst out and connected with a bolt of lightning. Henry's partner dropped to the ground like a bomb as his enemy cackled maniacally.   
  
As Skull Satamon came in to smash Rapidmon with his staff, Henry slashed a card through his D-Power. "Digimodify, Speed Activate!"   
  
As Skull Satamon's staff came down, Rapidmon slid away like a blur. The staff struck the ground instead, creating an earthquake. "Whoa!" muttered Henry as he wobbled around trying to keep balance. Unfortunately, he fell anyways and landed on his butt. "Ow! That didn't work the way I had planned."   
  
"Look at the bright side, Henry, at least you landed on the part of your body that had an inbuilt cushion!" joked Rapidmon. "Anyhow, it's time we send this doggy chew toy back to the hole he crawled out of."   
  
Henry recovered from his fall. "I'm with you Rapidmon. Digimodify, Magna Angemon's Gate of Destiny activate!"   
  
Rapidmon drew a circle with his gun arms and it turned into a golden gate adorned by Digital World scripture. The Gate of Destiny opened and began to drag Skull Satamon in like a vacuum cleaner. As the demon skeleton's legs entered the hole, Skull Satamon had managed to grab the edges of the gate. Only his torso still remained outside of the gate as he struggled hard to fight the currents of air that threatened to pull him in.   
  
"Going in?" asked Rapidmon as fired a Tri-Beam. The attack broke Skull Satamon's grip, sending him into the Gate of Destiny. After the gate closed, it vanished, taking Skull Satamon along with it.   
  
The Faction rebels swept the Central Office and purged it of any and all AoA. The enemy fell in battle one by one to the Faction's forces until none were left. Soldiers on the Central Office's roof rushed a white flag bearing a likeness of Megadeath's face. Unlike his real face, the flag's face had a prominent black "M" marked on its forehead. The men proudly hoisted the flag high into the air to announce their victory over the AoA. Xuanwu was now Faction territory.   
  



	14. Orbital Weapon Gunslinger, part 1

**  
  
** Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit. **  
  
** **  
  
** _  
  
_ **

Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3 

****  
  
** _  
  
_ **  
  
** Chapter 14: Orbital Weapon Gunslinger, part 1 **  
  
** _  
  
_ **  
  
** The next day after the capture of Xuanwu, Akira and Darkfryer sat on the sofa in the lounge of the Central Office. "Hey Akira, watching the news?" asked Lillith.   
  
"Yeah," replied Akira. "Would you like to watch too?"   
  
"Sure!" replied Lillith as she jumped onto Akira's lap, surprising him.   
  
The news moved to a female reporter covering the events in Xuanwu. "Violence gripped the streets of Xuanwu yesterday as Hypnos insurgents made its move for the Central Office. Fierce fighting resulted in the deaths of 50 AoA servicemen and 120 insurgents."   
  
The scene on TV turned to a video of a wrecked humvee in the middle of the streets. "Cool, that's your bomb they're showing!" commented Darkfryer. Akira nodded in response.   
  
Lillith chuckled. "Looks like you're a star, Akira!" She saw several of her dark nails hitting a humvee off to the side. "They even caught my nails hitting the humvee!"   
  
"The AoA are massing in the North Sector to pacify the revolt in Xuanwu," continued the reporter. "We'll have more as the story breaks."   
  
With their victory over the AoA, the Megadeath Faction had gained a strategic foothold in Amaterasu Server. The Faction began to beef up defences in preparation for further expansion. The Faction discussed their next move and had two places they could attack next; Amaterasu and Qinglong City of the East Sector. Qinglong was closer and hence easier to get to. On the other hand they could attack Amaterasu, and end the war instantly.   
  
"Amaterasu would be too risky," said Nassor. "We'll need more troops before we can take over that place."   
  
"So it's Qinglong then?" asked Shibumi.   
  
"I guess," replied Nassor.   
  
"How about this," began Akira. "While we take Qinglong, why don't we have someone get Baihu City too?"   
  
"Hmmm," mumbled Nassor. "I see! You want to flank Amaterasu, right?"   
  
"Exactly," replied Akira. "If we get both cities, it will deny the AoA places to run to once we start pounding them. We've got the North Sector and our land forces will block the Central Park and take the city."   
  
"What about Zhuqiao City?" asked Sven. "What are you going to do if they attack us while we're busy with Amaterasu?"   
  
"We'll have some people lurking in the ocean just for that," replied Akira. "Don't forget, Baihu City needs to cross the sea to get to Amaterasu. We'll just have some of their marine troops block Zhuqiao City's forces."   
  
"Sounds like a plan," replied Megadeath. "Who's going to after the cities?"   
  
"I was thinking I would go to Qinglong with Suzie, Shibumi, and Seiko. For Baihu, I want Takato, Rika, Henry, Jeri, and Esmeralda. Once we get there, don't attack the cities. Instead, set up a beachhead so we can operate there more freely."   
  
"Wait a minute," said Takato. "Even though we've been in Asuka's West Sector, it will be different in Amaterasu. There might not be a Mirage Resistance for us to befriend."   
  
"I know that," replied Akira. "...But you are the ones who know that area the best. You know where everything is. You five are the best ones for the job."   
  
"YES!" cried Rika mentally, happy to be partnered with Takato.   
  
"Lopmon, you heard that?" asked Suzie. "We're going to help Akiwa again!" Suzie hugged her partner out of joy, crushing Lopmon painfully in her arms.   
  
"What will we do?" asked Kenta.   
  
"Don't tell me we're on guard duty again..." moaned Kazu.   
  
"Unfortunately yes, but this time, I think you'll get a little more action," replied Akira.   
  
"Yeah, the AoA's not going to like the fact that we have one of their cities," added Shibumi. "They're going to want to get it back."   
  
"You guys want to fight?" asked Nassor. Kazu and Kenta nodded affirmatively. "Well then, why don't you go help the border patrol? You're more likely to bump into the AoA out there instead of here in the city."   
  
Kazu sighed. "If you put it that way..."   
  
The next day, the teams began to equip themselves for their mission. Akira's team waved goodbye to Kazu's group as they boarded a helicopter bound for the East Sector. Soon after, Kazu's group saw Takato's group off as they entered a train departing for the Legendary Gym. Kazu's group boarded a helicopter which transferred them to a camp somewhere near the southern border of the North Sector.   
  
The camp was snow covered compound with shelters for people to stay in. The camp had been constructed a short distance away from the mountains. One of the buildings had an antenna built on its roof which indicated it was a radio station. Another building housed the vehicles the inhabitants needed for their duties. The border guard compound changed ownership after the Faction captured Xuanwu City and the North Sector.   
  
The helicopter touched down on a pad on the northeast area of the building and a German man greeted them. "Hello Nassor, what brings you out here?"   
  
"I'm here to bring some new people to help out," replied Nassor. The leader of the Xuanwu resistance introduced the Tamers to the compound owner, Johan.   
  
"Thanks Nassor, we really appreciate the help," said Johan.   
  
"Okay kids, you're working for Johan now. I'm returning to Xuanwu now. Take care," said Nassor as he returned to his helicopter.   
  
"Bye!" said the Tamers in unison.   
  
Johan guided the Tamers on a tour of the camp's facilities and people. They were eventually shown to the rooms where they would be staying as part of the border guard. It wasn't long before they were asked to go on their first patrol along the border. Ryo drove a jeep-like snowmobile across the frozen wastes of the North Sector in search of any intruders. Kenta peered from out at the wastes from the rear of the snowmobile with his binoculars.   
  
"Do you see anything Kenta?" asked Kazu.   
  
"No, just ice and snow," replied Kenta.   
  
The jeep continued along the ice and snow until they reached the mountains that separated the North Sector from the Central Sector. The mountains were beautiful sight to see and were the perfect place to set up a ski resort. Through his binoculars, Mako could see several people having fun while skiing down the slopes of the alps. He wanted to ski like the tourists were, but sadly, he had a job to do and he couldn't disappoint Johan. Mako continued to watch the skiers go down the hill until he heard a loud rumble coming from the mountain's top.   
  
An avalanche of snow and rocks came sliding down the mountain side and terrified the skiers. Mako alerted the others, prompting Ryo to turn their vehicle around to the mountains. Cyberdramon, Guardromon, and Marine Angemon went out ahead to pull skiers out of harm's way. The skiers made a desperate attempt to escape but the mass of snow caught up and swallowed some of them whole. A young boy and his mother were about to be run over when Cyberdramon swooped in and snatched them out of harm's way.   
  
The boy was crying, but his mother was grateful to have survived. "Thank you so much! You saved our lives!"   
  
"No problem," replied Cyberdramon as he set the two aside in a safe location.   
  
Guardromon landed beside Cyberdramon as he set a young couple he had saved gently on the ground. "Thanks a lot!" said the man.   
  
"I'm glad I could be of service," replied Guardromon.   
  
A heart-shaped blue bubble descended near them and popped, releasing the ski instructor inside. "You okay?" asked Marine Angemon as he flew up to the man.   
  
"Yeah, I'm fine thanks to you," replied the ski instructor.   
  
The avalanche had come and gone, but some people were still buried under the snow. The Tamers helped the other authorities search the missing people. They swept the mountain from bottom to top, calling for anyone who was trapped to respond. Ai and Mako heard a young woman calling to her who had been trapped within the snow. Impmon created a set of fireballs and melted the woman out.   
  
After a thorough search, Ai and Mako discovered a group of mountain climbers trapped near the top of where the avalanche had deposited the snow. Impmon melted them out with his fireballs. Some of the climbers had suffered broken bones as a result of the avalanche. They needed medics to remove them by stretchers. The rest only had minor cuts and bruises which the medics treated on the spot with bandages. Ai decided to ask the leader, a Caucasian man with a black beard, about the avalanche.   
  
"Do you know what made the snow come down?" asked Ai.   
  
"Yeah," replied the leader. "I was climbing the mountain at the time. I drove my hook into the stone and then the next thing I knew, it cracked. I heard rumbling and then snow and rocks were coming down on us. I think I hit some kind of weak spot."   
  
"Hey kids, great work!" called a familiar voice. It was Johan.   
  
"Hi Johan, when did you get here?" asked Ryo.   
  
"I heard about the avalanche and came to investigate," replied Johan. "I'm proud of you kids. It's your first day on the job and you've handled this emergency like pros."   
  
"Ah, it was nothing," said Ryo. _  
  
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_ The Baihu team made their way to south in their buggies to the target, Baihu City. They had entered the mountainous region that separated the North Sector from the West Sector. It would be a long trip, but the Xuanwu resistance had reduced their travel time by taking the Tamers most of the way west in helicopters. They couldn't go any further south for fear of being detected by AoA radar outposts. Once spotted, they'd be shot down instantly like the Tamers were in Asuka Server.   
  
Though the dirt roads were wide enough for two lanes of traffic, the closeness of the mountains to each other was still inductive to claustrophobia. The buggies began to scale up the side of mountain and onto the roads that ran along the side. It was a very dangerous trip since the edge of the road had nothing to protect it. If they drove too fast, they would run right off the cliff. Fortunately, the rebels had trained the Tamers to drive safely, so they kept their speed to a manageable minimum.   
  
It began to grow dark. "We need to find somewhere to stay for the night," remarked Rika.   
  
Guilmon yawned. "Yeah, I'm tired Takato."   
  
"How about that motel up ahead?" asked Renamon.   
  
"Alright guys, we're going to stay in there for the night," said Takato as he drove the buggy. "We'll continue on our way the next day, okay?"   
  
"Fine by me," replied Rika. Everyone else in Takato's buggy agreed.   
  
Takato and Esmeralda's buggies pulled into the parking lot. Takato went up to the owner to rent out rooms for the night. Esmeralda opened up the buggies and began to perform some routine maintenance on them. Both vehicles had exhausted more than half of the energy in their power cells. She promptly proceeded to replace the cylindrical old cells with spares. The Tamers ate a nice dinner and went their separate ways for the night.   
  
Takato leaned on the handrail to his room and looked out at the distant road. His thoughts were on how he became a Tamer and the events that happened after that fateful day. His life had changed in ways he couldn't even dream of before. As a Tamer, he had made epic journeys that were normally the stuff of myths and legends. He had fought many powerful foes with Guilmon and even thwarted the ambitions of a berserk computer program in the form of the D-Reaper.   
  
Rika found the Red Tamer and began a conversation. "Hi Takato."   
  
"Oh, hi Rika," replied Takato.   
  
"What were you doing?"   
  
"Oh, I was just thinking about how I became a Tamer," replied Takato. "Things have changed so much since that day."   
  
"Uh huh," agreed Rika. "Whenever I look back, I can't believe that I was the same person now as I was then. I don't even recognize myself back then."   
  
Takato stopped leaning on the rail and straightened himself. "Yeah, being a Tamer has changed every one of us."   
  
"I know," replied Rika. "Uh Takato, I want talk to you about our 'date' at the pizzeria."   
  
At this moment, Jeri walked up on the two without them noticing. Upon hearing about Rika mentioning a date at a pizzeria, she froze and eavesdropped on them. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful you invited me, but I'm still not sure what I feel," admitted Takato. "I feel like I'm cheating on Jeri by being with you..."   
  
"Jeri told me there was nothing between the two of you. She said the two of you were just friends. It's not like she's your girlfriend..."   
  
"I know but..."   
  
Rika grew frustrated. "Forget about her! I'm the one for you Takato! Can't you see that? I've been there since the beginning. I've been there all the time. I was there when you first became a Tamer. Don't you remember?"   
  
"I know. I haven't forgotten. You sicced Renamon on Guilmon and we got into this big argument over Digimon."   
  
Rika chuckled. "Yeah, here I was, thinking Digimon were nothing but data. Meeting you really opened my eyes. I'd never thought I could care for something or anything like I do now."   
  
Takato began to chuckle. "Man, Renamon nailed him good. You were a really good Tamer to have helped her get so strong."   
  
"I was good then and I still am today," boasted Rika. "I'm even better today than I was back then!" Takato smiled as the old Rika was still inside of her. "Yeah, I'm still the Digimon Queen, but it's lonely being the Queen. I want a Digimon King and I want you to be that king, Takato..."   
  
Rika clasped Takato's hand and pulled him in for a hug, making his face turn beet red. Oddly, even though she only thought of Takato as a friend, Jeri couldn't help but feel resentment towards him and Rika. "Jeri, did you check the power cells yet?" asked a distant voice, which turned out to be from Esmeralda.   
  
Takato and Rika turned around to see Esmeralda. Unfortunately, they discovered that Jeri was there as well. "Jeri!" gasped Rika.   
  
Takato went into paroxysms of shock, as though he had been caught red-handed while committing a crime. "How long have you been there?"   
  
"Jeri, did you check the power... Oh!" remarked Esmeralda as she came upstairs to find Takato, Rika, and Jeri confronting each other.   
  
Without saying a word, Jeri stormed off to her room. "Jeri, wait!" called Takato as he followed. The Orange Tamer slammed the door in Takato's face and locked it behind her.   
  
"What was that about?" asked Esmeralda.   
  
"Uh, very complicated..." replied Rika.   
  
"Jeri, please open this door!" cried Takato. Jeri did not respond.   
  
"So Rika, it seems like you snagged Takato after all, hmmm? From what I saw, it seems that you two were seeing each other behind Jeri's back."   
  
"Wait a minute, it's not like that at all!" objected Rika. "It's not like Takato's cheating on Jeri with me. She told me she was just Takato's friend. They weren't going out so I saw no harm in trying to get closer to him."   
  
"I see," muttered Esmeralda. "I guess she's just jealous that you made a move on him instead of her."   
  
"So what do we do?" asked Takato. "I never had to deal with a jealous girl before."   
  
"I'm don't know, Takato. I'm beginning to trying to hook you guys up at the party."   
  
"You tried to hook us up at the party?" asked Takato.   
  
"Yeah," replied Esmeralda. "Remember, the one in the Real World at Rika's house? I tried to get you to talk to her. I never expected that someone else would get jealous by you two getting together."   
  
Takato began to puzzle out what had happened. "Are you saying you knew Rika loved me back then?" Esmeralda simply nodded. "Why am I always the last to know?"   
  
"It's not your fault," said Rika. "This would have happened even if you didn't do anything. I don't think we could have avoided it even if wanted."   
  
"Let Jeri have some time alone to think about it," advised Esmeralda. "Get some rest. We've still got some ways to go before we reach the West Sector."   
  
"Yeah, maybe..." mumbled Rika. "Good night, Esmeralda."   
  
"Good night to you too."   
  
The Tamers turned in for the night and woke up early the next morning. They packed their belongings and resumed their journey to the West Sector. For the rest of the trip, Jeri remained largely quiet and distant, especially towards Rika and Takato. The buggies sped through the mountainous region until they came upon the Amaterasu version of the Dum Dum Factory. It looked like a good place to use as a base of operations for their mission in the West Sector.   
  
The Dum Dum Factory was a massive automated complex built for the creation of munitions. The Tamers could see no one in the area nor hear anything that implied activity. The Dum Dum Factory seemed to be long abandoned as there were cobwebs on the windows. On its front courtyard was a prominent statue of a gear-like Digimon, Solarmon; a cousin of the Hagurumon species. Some of the teeth on the gears had been broken off and laid forgotten on the ground.   
  
The Tamers turned on their exoskeletons and went inside. The factory's interior itself was sterile and ridden with cobwebs and rusted metal. Only the sunlight from the windows kept the factory lit. The Tamers chanced upon a conveyor belt that formed part of an assembly line. The engines for the conveyor belt were rusted beyond repair. They also posed a fire hazard as they were leaking gasoline onto the floor. The Tamers eventually made their way back to a control room.   
  
The control room was very dark, so the Tamers switched to night vision in order to see. This room would have been a hi-tech centre for operating the factory if there weren't cobwebs and the screens weren't shattered. Esmeralda began to fiddle with the controls in an attempt to reactivate the power to the Dum Dum Factory. After much trial and error, she managed to restart auxiliary power, which was good enough to power the lights.   
  
The Tamers switched off the night vision mode and proceeded deeper until a foul stench filled their noses. "Oh, pyuuuuu! What is that? It smells like something that came out of a toilet!" remarked Terriermon as he plugged his nose.   
  
"Now I wish I couldn't smell things so good!" commented Guilmon.   
  
"If we're going to use this place as a base, we'd better check that place out to make sure it's safe," said Henry.   
  
The stench actually came from a sewer system underneath the Dum Dum Factory. The walkways were relatively thin, so it was too cumbersome to move about as a group. The Tamers decided to split up to move about more freely. Esmeralda and Amar explored the sewers for several minutes of found nothing of importance. As they passed by a drainage pipe, something disgusting struck Esmeralda in the back of the head!   
  
"Oh shit!" groaned Esmeralda as she rubbed the back of her head. She felt something gooey on her armour and realized it was the pink feces from some animal.   
  
Amar spotted his Tamer's attacker lurking in the drainage pipe and threw a fireball at him. The putrid water splashed as the attacker retreated deeper into the pipe. Amar rushed to the pipe in an attempt to reach in and grab the attacker. However, the annoying prankster was too fast and splashed dirty water onto Amar's face as he fled. As he cleaned his face, Amar was very displeased, but managed to catch a brief glimpse of the attacker before he got away. The attacker looked a green creature that had a gelatinous body.   
  
"Do you know what attacked me?" asked Esmeralda, whose exoskeleton had disintegrated the feces by this point.   
  
"No, but I think it was a Digimon of some kind," replied Amar. "It looked like a pile of green slime."   
  
The other Tamers came in having heard the sound of Amar's fireball. "What happened? We heard the noise," said Takato.   
  
"Something hit me from behind," warned Esmeralda. "Amar thinks it was a Digimon. Whatever it was, we have to find it, but be careful."   
  
The group split up once again. Esmeralda and Amar combed through the hallways to find out what was lurking within the sewers. Minutes into their search, their attacker struck once again, plastering Amar in the side of the head with its pink feces. Amar was disgusted as he cleaned himself off. His disgust soon turned to rage once he spotted his attacker and gave pursuit. As Tamer and Digimon ran down the sewers, they took a good look at the attacker's back.   
  
It was a green mass of living slime or some other type of mucus. On its back were several purple spots and on top was a pair of stalks for the creature's eyes. Esmeralda recognized it as a Numemon, a creature made out of slime. It was a filthy Digimon that lived in areas that were very unclean, such as the sewer she was exploring. It tended to use feces and other types of disgusting sludge as its primary method of attack.   
  
"Don't let him get away!" cried Esmeralda.   
  
Amar rounded the corner only to catch sight of a whole army of Numemon waiting around their corner. With those Digimon were their snail-like counterparts, the Shell Numemon. Their leader was Black King Numemon, a dark grey Shell Numemon with a moustache and a crown for its shell. Before Amar could react, Black King Numemon ordered his followers to attack. Amar was inundated by the flurry of sludge and shell fragments that flew at him. The junk hit him in the face, knocking him onto his back.   
  
Once the fiery god got up, his anger made his body burst into flame. "That's it! No more Mr. Nice Guy!"   
  
Amar promptly tossed a burst of flame at the Numemon, who immediately scattered out of terror. "What are you guys afraid of? There are only two of them!" called Black King Numemon.   
  
The king's troops charged the fiery god, but he pummelled them with a series of haymakers. Others went after Esmeralda, who defended herself by shooting her attackers with her gun. The fallen Numemon kept piling up as Tamer and Digimon mowed them down. More and more Numemon and Shell Numemon charged at Esmeralda and Amar, but were promptly knocked out. The king watched as the last of his troops landed in a pile in front of him.   
  
Black King Numemon became frightened as Amar and Esmeralda shot angry glares at him. "Uh, I surrender?"   
  
"Why did your Numemon attack us?" asked Esmeralda.   
  
"We heard some humans and Digimon had intruded on our home so we acted to protect ourselves."   
  
"We're not here to take over your home, we just want to use in the factory above," said Amar.   
  
"Why?" asked Black King Numemon.   
  
"That depends, what do you think of the AoA?" asked Esmeralda. "Are you friends with them, or foes?"   
  
"AoA? Who is the AoA?"   
  
Esmeralda explained who the AoA were. "We're here to fight the AoA. We want to use the factory as a base from which to explore the area."   
  
"Hmm, these AoA guys sound like trouble, and I don't want any more trouble. Humans have given us more trouble than we need.."   
  
"Trouble?" asked Amar.   
  
Black King Numemon sighed. "Yeah... Before, we could go to Baihu City's sewers and eat the sludge there whenever we want. Then, the humans came and closed off the tunnel that joined the two sewers together."   
  
"Yeah, I can see why. Such a tunnel would be a security risk for Baihu City," observed Esmeralda.   
  
"Aye, that's what they said when they began work," said Black King Numemon.   
  
Esmeralda saw a great opportunity in the Numemon tunnel. "Why don't we make a deal? We can open the tunnel if, in exchange, you let us use it whenever we want ."   
  
Black King Numemon thought hard about it. "Alright! Anything to be able to go back and taste the delicious sludge of Baihu City. You've got yourself a deal!" _  
  
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* * *

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_ Somewhere in orbit around Amaterasu Server was a great space station belonging to the AoA. It resembled a much larger version of a normal communications satellite. This metallic construct of the highest technology was known as "Gunslinger." Gunslinger functioned as an AoA orbital base as well as a communications satellite. It had a camera mounted on its body which provided a useful global positioning system for the AoA. Several mechanics in jumpsuits walked along the surfaces of Gunslinger to enact routine maintenance procedures.   
  
Unlike in the Real World, the Digital World had different laws of physics. The Digital World's "outer space" was blue rather than black. This was due to the fact that the Digital World didn't actually have a true outer space at all. Since air was omnipresent, the AoA mechanics could work without wearing cumbersome space suits. Gravity was another oddity, as mechanics could walk on Gunslinger's underside and not fall off.   
  
Inside the monolithic Gunslinger, Magami and a Vemmon were overseeing the last diagnostics on the space station. The AoA's engineers had just installed a powerful new weapon to Gunslinger and were finishing the last diagnostics on it. This weapon was known as the "Ragnarok Cannon" and was a product of AoA technical ingenuity. It was a mighty laser weapon meant for orbital bombardment of earthbound targets. The Ragnarok Cannon was a strategic weapon capable of demolishing large portions of an entire city.   
  
It incorporated the Yuggoth program the AoA had stolen from Hypnos. It was the Yuggoth program gave the Ragnarok Cannon its destructive potential. The AoA wanted it ready to deploy as soon as possible after having suffered several military defeats. The fall of Asuka Server and now Xuanwu City proved to be a sore spot for Magami. It had incited many more people to rebel against his rule. Magami had taken enough and it was time for him to regain control of the situation.   
  
"How long until the Ragnarok Cannon becomes fully operational?" asked Magami.   
  
"In two hours," replied the chief technician. "All we need to do is run our last diagnostics and check ups before it becomes fully operational."   
  
"Good," replied Magami.   
  
The two hours elapsed and a faceless soldier came up to receive orders. "Sir, the Ragnarok Cannon is ready to fire. What are your orders?"   
  
"The insurgents have been a thorn in my side for far too long. It's time we show them that their struggle has been in vain. Wipe out Xuanwu City; all of it!" replied Magami. "I want to see nothing of that city except ashes!"   
  
"Yes sir!" said the officer before he went away to radio the bridge. "All hands, commence primary ignition. This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!"   
  
A red alert sounded to warn the crew, filling the halls of Gunslinger with flashing crimson light. The soldiers initiated the firing procedures for the Ragnarok Cannon with utmost speed and efficiency. The Ragnarok Cannon's energy banks filled as the crew ramped up the output of their power core. Gunslinger's gravity thrusters propelled the space station until it entered synchronous orbit over the arctic city of Xuanwu.   
  
Magami made his way to the bridge to oversee the last steps of the firing procedure. Through the glass window, he could see all of Amaterasu Server. "Sir, we're standing by. We will fire on your command," greeted a faceless officer.   
  
"Fire!" ordered Magami.   
  
Immediately, a huge azure beam of coherent light burst out of the Ragnarok Cannon. The beam cut through the air as it descended onto Amaterasu Server's surface. The energy incinerated an entire neighbourhood in Xuanwu, triggering a massive outburst of panic and chaos. The citizens fled for their lives as the column of light moved across the city, annihilating everything that got into its way. Wherever the light went, it left nothing but fire and charred earth behind.   
  
Nassor and Megadeath looked out the Central Office and quickly fled once they spotted the column heading their way. They and the other Xuanwu resistance members poured out of the building in terror. The column devoured a hapless soldier completely, disintegrating him into nothingness. The Central Office collapsed with a crunch and burst into flame as the column through it. When all was said and done, only a few small fires and blackened earth remained of what was once the Central Office.   
  



	15. Orbital Weapon Gunslinger, part 2

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_ Disclaimer:   
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit. **  
  
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Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy   
By: RB3 

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** Chapter 15: Orbital Weapon Gunslinger, part 2 **  
  
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** While Takato's group set up a beachhead for the Faction in the west, Shibumi drove his humvee through the northern mountains bordering the North and East Sectors. The mountains were packed tightly together in a range, leaving only enough space for a two lane road. The long trip down the road was made even longer by the winding of the road, which forced Shibumi to slow his humvee slow. He couldn't afford to crash into a mountain side accidentally.   
  
The humvee eventually entered a large, lush valley surrounded by the mountains. The Tamers had entered Amaterasu's version of the Tyranno Valley according to their maps. Like its Asuka counterpart, they could make out several fossilized bones embedded in the stone of the mountain sides. The Tamers could see several dinosaur-like Digimon living in the valley. The fossils, dinosaurs, and jungle-like landscape gave the area a prehistoric appearance.   
  
Akira consulted his maps. "The chief's mountain should be right up ahead. The ledges are too narrow for our humvee so we'll need to climb on foot."   
  
The Tamers parked their humvee at the base of the chief's mountain and continued the rest of the way on foot. After a fairly arduous journey, they reached the peak and found a throne made from fossilized dinosaur bones. Before the throne was the chief Digimon, a Black Imperialdramon. He was a massive dragon with white hair and scaly skin that was as black as obsidian. It had gold claws, black body armour. An energy cannon had been grafted onto his back.   
  
"Why are you here, human?" asked Black Imperialdramon.   
  
"We're representatives of the Megadeath Faction. We're here to request your assistance to resist the AoA," replied Akira.   
  
"...And what can a small group like yours hope to accomplish against the might of the AoA?" asked Black Imperialdramon.   
  
"We have taken the entire North Sector away from the AoA," replied Akira.   
  
"A great accomplishment, I'll admit, but having a single city will not be enough to stop the AoA. My answer is no. I don't want my people involved." At that moment, a great column of azure light flashed in the north! "What's going on?"   
  
"Wasn't that where we came from?" asked Suzie.   
  
"Yeah," replied Frosty. "Somehow, I don't like the look of it."   
  
"Hello, is anyone there? Please answer!" cried Shibumi into his radio.   
  
Shibumi got a moment of static before a female Faction communications officer responded. "This is Xuanwu communications."   
  
"What happened there?" asked Akira.   
  
"The AoA hit Xuanwu with some kind of new orbital weapon. Everyone's panicking and there are fires everywhere!"   
  
"What about Nassor and Megadeath? Are they alright?" asked Shibumi.   
  
"Don't worry, they're unharmed. Wait, Mr. Ghana just stepped in. I'll put him on the line."   
  
"Yes?" asked Nassor.   
  
"Nassor, it's good to hear from you! We heard the AoA just attacked Xuanwu!" said Shibumi.   
  
"Yeah, they did. They nailed us with some new beam cannon from space. We'll need to find it and take it out; otherwise they'll just keep wrecking every city we try to capture. We need you to abort your mission and return to Xuanwu for further instructions."   
  
"Well, this was a bust," commented Lillith.   
  
"Yeah, we came out here for nothing!" agreed Lopmon.   
  
"Well, looks like it's time for us to go, Black Imperialdramon," said Akira. "It's time we head home."   
  
The Tamer squad descended the mountain and returned back to the North Sector in disappointment. After four days of travel, the Tamers returned to Xuanwu City to find it in ruins. Several buildings had been burned down and demolished by the AoA's new super weapon. Along the ground, the Tamers could see a black trail that indicated where the beam had travelled. The charred earth and destruction led straight to the Central Office. After the attack, it no longer existed.   
  
As the Tamers looked around the area, they encountered an electronics store that had survived the AoA attack. The AoA boasted on their propaganda news stations about dealing a crippling blow to the Faction. The AoA had outfitted their space station, "Gunslinger," with a new orbital beam weapon called the "Ragnarok Cannon." The AoA turned their new toy on Xuanwu to make an example of it to anyone who dared oppose the AoA.   
  
"They really did a number on this place," commented Darkfryer.   
  
"I hope everybody is okay..." said Suzie.   
  
Akira's squad eventually found Nassor overseeing the clearing of the Central Office's rubble. At the same time, Ryo's border guards came back. "You came back!" said Nassor. "As you can see, the AoA really did a number on our city. We need your help to take out the AoA's new Ragnarok Cannon."   
  
"Man, this place is a mess," commented Kenta.   
  
"Yeah, I'm glad I wasn't around here when the beam hit," said Ryo.   
  
After giving instructions to the clean-up crew, Nassor called a meeting to discuss ways to deal with Gunslinger. "We have Xuanwu City now, but the Ragnarok Cannon's firing cost us much of our military power," began Megadeath.   
  
"We'll need to take out Gunslinger, but it will not be easy," admitted Megadeath. "Gunslinger is protected by several energy cannons. The AoA has also several fighters stationed there to protect it from attack. Even if we somehow manage to cut through these defences, there's no telling what Gunslinger might crash into upon re-entry."   
  
"Then we'll need some way control its fall," observed Ryo.   
  
"Datamon and I can hack into Gunslinger's main computer and upload a virus to take it down," announced Shibumi. "All you have to worry about how you'll get us in there."   
  
"That's going to be a toughie," admitted Lillith. "There will be guards inside too."   
  
"Actually, this gives me a great idea," said Akira. "Since we're going to Gunslinger anyways, why not milk it for what it's worth? Why don't we use the Ragnarok Cannon to our advantage? Shibumi, can you do it?"   
  
"Yeah," replied the Monster Maker. "I could do that, but I'd need to know the target."   
  
"Simple, aim for Amaterasu City's Admin Centre," said Akira. "Gunslinger will become our trump card in reclaiming the Servers!"   
  
The others were impressed by this idea. "Yeah, great idea," said Megadeath. "We can get solve two problems all in one swoop!"   
  
"Why stop there?" asked Darkfryer. "Let's take out as much AoA as we can."   
  
"Wow, imagine that! We could win if we can pull this off!" commented Kenta.   
  
"Yep, this is an opportunity we can't afford to miss!" stressed Nassor. "We're pulling out all the stops for this one. Here's how we'll do it..." _  
  
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_ After extensive preparations, the Faction was ready to undertake its most crucial mission. They had recalled Takato's group and had them hide in Protocol Forest pending further orders. Their mission was to destroy Gunslinger and Amaterasu Admin Centre. Their secondary mission was to knock out the military bases that protected Amaterasu City. Ryo's team was tasked with clearing out enemies within the space station. The priority of Akira's team was to get Shibumi and Datamon to the main computer as safely and as quickly as possible.   
  
In the upper reaches of Amaterasu's atmosphere, several Guard Tamer fighters advanced on Gunslinger. These sleek black space fighters resembled flying arrowheads. In each cockpit were a pilot and his or her Digimon co-pilot, who provided their craft with unique abilities. The Guard Tamer squadrons made an unerring beeline for the space station, alarming its defenders into action. The AoA launched their fighters as Gunslinger's defences opened fire.   
  
The space around Gunslinger became alit with bolts of energy being fired back and forth by the two sides. A Guard Tamer fighter with a Flare Lizamon, the fiery counterpart of the Dark Lizamon, came in for an attack run. Gunslinger's cannons turned to the fighter and unleashed a hail of energy bolts. The pilot bobbed and weaved his way past the attack, returning fire all the while. The pilot launched a pair of fireballs which melted one of the defence turrets.   
  
The battle continued with the Faction successfully destroying several of Gunslinger's defensive cannons. This event signalled the second wave of the assault, the boarding of the space station. While the battle raged around them, several bulky, troop transport ships advanced on the vulnerable Gunslinger. Halfway to their destination, the enemy fighters noticed the transports and opened fired on them. In response, the transports returned fire to repel their annoying attackers.   
  
Akira's transport rocked as the enemy rained energy on it. "Man, where's our cover?"   
  
Some of the Faction's fighters broke from the main battle to intercept the enemy fighters. The two sides exchanged seemingly endless bolts of energy. An AoA fighter rained bolts which struck a Faction fighter, causing its power core to overload and explode. A Faction fighter snuck into the six o'clock position of the AoA fighter and opened fire. The AoA fighter took heavy damage and spiralled into a headfirst crash with the side of Gunslinger.   
  
The transports reached Gunslinger and drilled a hole into its chassis. "Okay everybody, go, go, go!" cried a Faction soldier.   
  
A legion of Mekanorimon armed with Gatling guns dropped into the space station. The action flared up immediately with the rattling bangs of the firing Gatling guns. The Mekanorimon proceeded to mow down anything that stood in their way. Ryo's squad turned on their exoskeletons and moved into Gunslinger. After the Mekanorimon had cleaned out the AoA, it was safe for them to move in.   
  
The halls of Gunslinger were tinted red by the flashing of a warning light. The blaring alarm klaxon could not drown out the sounds of gunshots further down the hallways. Ryo's group moved down the halls. They entered a lounge and met up with a group of three AoA Tamers passing through the room as they rushed to Gunslinger's defence. Their Digimon was a motley group like the Tamers', consisting of the vampiric Myotismon, the robotic Volcamon, and a Gatomon.   
  
"I'll take care of this!" stated Impmon, who promptly Digivolved into Beelzemon Blast Mode.   
  
The demon lord immediately pulled out a pair of handguns and time seemed to slow to a crawl. Beelzemon fired his guns as he advanced and could see the bullets make ripples through the air. The bullets struck the enemy Digimon, making them flinch with each hit. The bullets continued to pour out of his gun until all of the Digimon were knocked off their feet. With the Digimon down, Beelzemon dodged the shots of their Tamers and turned his weapons on them.   
  
He proceeded to mow down the Tamers in an expedient manner. "Okay, let's go!" cried Beelzemon triumphantly.   
  
As Ryo's group cleaned out Gunslinger, Akira's squad entered the space station to complete their mission. The young Guard Tamer immediately assumed his True GAIA form for greater fighting capability. The others were briefly in awe of Akira's new form; that of an angel made of glowing blue metal with wings of flaming golden energy. His face was featureless save for a pair of flaming gold eyes. He carried a sword with a blade of black negative energy that rumbled. Akira was intent on winning this battle.   
  
True GAIA turned to the others. "Let's go, we're wasting time here!"   
  
With True GAIA and his Digimon taking point and Seiko and Frosty bringing up the rear, the squad traversed Gunslinger's hallways. The group ran afoul of a five soldier AoA patrol, prompting True GAIA to charge in with preternatural speed. The avenging angel promptly gutted one of the soldiers with his sword while Lillith and Darkfryer blasted two others with negative energy attacks. Datamon sent a Nano Swarm with shocked the remaining ones into unconsciousness. The group continued until they found their destination, the main computer room.   
  
The two guards at the door sprang into action and opened fire. True GAIA held his sword before him and absorbed the shots into the blade. Frosty stepped forward and popped the guards the snowballs from a pair of Subzero Ice Punches. The guards fell onto the ground dazed and Frosty invoked the Snowstorm Online technique to freeze them solid. However, the guards had served their purpose in distracting the Tamers long enough for the door to close.   
  
True GAIA thrust his sword into the doors in an attempt to cut an entry hole open. The door was thick and impossible to cut through. "A little help here guys?"   
  
Datamon checked the keypad and attempted to rig the door to open. "This is a complicated lock. It's going to take me some time to crack it."   
  
Lopmon and Frosty fired ice onto the door to make it brittle and easier to cut through. The ice had little effect. "If you could make the door go hot and cold suddenly, maybe we can crack it open," suggested Shibumi. "Can anyone use fire?"   
  
"I can," replied Darkfryer.   
  
True GAIA withdrew his sword from the door. "Let me help too."   
  
Lopmon and Frosty immediately pelted the door with as much ice as they could create. Immediately afterwards, True GAIA and Darkfryer heated the door up with fire. The four alternated exposure of the door to ice and fire. Frosty sent a Subzero Ice Punch to the door which tore a large chunk of its metal off. The guards inside fired out of the hole but Shibumi and Seiko returned fire. After wearing the door down through repeated heating and freezing, the Tamers broke in.   
  
"You guys in first, I'll cover the rear!" cried True GAIA. More guards came from that direction and opened fire but he absorbed the shots and dispatched the guards with lightning.   
  
Lillith burst into the room and downed a Greymon with her Lightning Paw attack. Lopmon followed and bounced around the shots of a pair of guards before freezing them solid with Blazing Ice. Datamon shocked the general in charge to unconsciousness with a Nano Swarm as Darkfryer blasted a Kabuterimon with Dread Fire. With all the guards down, Shibumi rushed to the main console and began to take control of Gunslinger.   
  
After Seiko and True GAIA entered the room, Frosty and Lopmon sealed the hole with solid ice. "They won't get into the room now," commented Lopmon.   
  
"So how's it going?" True GAIA asked Shibumi.   
  
"I've got the re-entry virus uploaded, now for the firing virus..." After some quick typing, Shibumi gained access to Gunslinger's Ragnarok Cannon. "I'm in!"   
  
"Good! Take out the Admin Centre!" commanded True GAIA.   
  
"Yes sir!" replied Shibumi jovially.   
  
Shibumi punched in commands on the keyboard and the Ragnarok Cannon began to charge. Once done, Shibumi hit a large red button and the cannon discharged a powerful coherent blue beam. On the ground, all seemed to be quiet in Amaterasu City. The people moved about on their business though somewhat strained by the presence of AoA soldiers and Digimon. Suddenly, the beam descended on Amaterasu's Admin Centre, shattering that scene of peace and order.   
  
The beam ripped through the Admin Centre's roof, rupturing a massive hole in the metal and concrete. The beam began to trace circles over the building, melting everything in its path. Amaterasu's civilians began to panic. Discord and anarchy replaced what was once a scene of peace and order. The people began to flee in terror upon realizing the city was under attack. The guards were taxed to the limit to calm the panic of the people.   
  
Back in space, Shibumi watched the Admin Centre crumble under the power of the AoA's own weapon. "Good, now get those military bases," urged True GAIA.   
  
Shibumi fired the Ragnarok Cannon again, this time at a military base on the eastern outskirts of Amaterasu City. The Tamers watched as the beam reduced the hi-tech compound into nothing but ash in mere moments. However, firing the cannon so soon after the first shot had major consequences. Shibumi's screen told him that the cannon had become too hot. Any further shots would cause it to break down and render it useless.   
  
"Who cares if it breaks down?" asked Seiko rhetorically. "We're going to send this thing into the ocean anyways..."   
  
"Go ahead Shibumi, fire the cannon one more time," said True GAIA. "Let's milk this for what it's worth."   
  
Shibumi fired the Ragnarok Cannon a third time, demolishing a second military base to the north of Amaterasu City. Upon doing so, a warning came upon the screen announcing that the cannon had overheated and broke down. With the Ragnarok Cannon rendered useless, Shibumi activated the re-entry virus to destroy Gunslinger. The screen displayed the inevitable result of the virus; the decay of Gunslinger's orbit and its crash into the sea west of Amaterasu City.   
  
Gunslinger shook as it tilted and began to re-enter Amaterasu Server's atmosphere. "Let's get out of here!" cried Suzie.   
  
Darkfryer melted the ice with his flames and the Tamers fled the control room with utmost haste. They rushed down the hallways trying to flee back to their drop ship. Gunslinger rumbled as it began to re-enter the atmosphere. The alarm klaxon continued its blaring, but this time, it was warning about Gunslinger's decaying orbit. The Tamers ran through seemingly endless hallways just to return to their ship. They weren't the only ones fleeing.   
  
Both the AoA and the Faction's troops were scrambling to reach a means of escape from the sinking ship that was Gunslinger. The Tamers bumped into Ryo's group which was running away as well. "Hey guys, you did it!" cried Ryo over the blaring klaxon.   
  
"Yeah!" replied Seiko.   
  
"Hey guys, less talking and more running!" decried Kazu.   
  
Gunslinger continued its rumbling as it moved closer and closer to the Server. The combined Tamer group reached their craft. After a brief headcount, no one was found to be missing. "Pilot, get us out of here!" ordered True GAIA.   
  
The pilot started the drop ship without saying a word and sped away from the sinking Gunslinger. Through the windows, the Tamers could see the space station shrink as it disappeared into the distance. On the surface, Black Imperialdramon could see the space station soaring across the sky. He and his dragon and dinosaur Digimon watched as Gunslinger travelled westward to the city of Amaterasu like a shooting star.   
  
Gunslinger reached Amaterasu City, which was still in the grip of panic over the razing of the Admin Centre. The people were still in fear and the military was trying to restore order. Gunslinger cast a massive shadow over the city that the people could not ignore. A panel from its body broke off and tumbled onto the ground below. The people scattered in terror and the panel landed with a deafening clang on an intersection, crushing several cars underneath like soda cans.   
  
Gunslinger sank westward over the horizon as it reached Plug Cape. The local Digimon of the cape fled as the space station came dangerously close to the ground. Gunslinger was mere metres from the ground and descending rapidly. The space station travelled a few metres into the ocean before hitting the water with a splash. It continued to skid along the surface of the ocean before the water's resistance stopped its motion. The space station slowly sank into the depths as the ocean swallowed it in a watery grave. _  
  
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_

* * *

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_ _  
_ The fall of Gunslinger had awakened feelings that the AoA had thought long suppressed. They had done everything in their power to crush dissent from controlling the media to the arresting and killing of political activists. Once the Admin Centre had come down, the AoA were thrown into disarray. The people threw off the yoke of fear the AoA had placed on them. Their anger and resentment had been boiling under the surface and came bursting at this very moment. The AoA had to put down a violent riot, the people's revolution against their despotic master.   
  
A group of young men tossed a rock into a jewellery store, shattering its glass window. They immediately entered through the broken window and made off with all the valuables they could carry. Another set of both human and Digimon rioters, ganged up on a AoA humvee and toppled it over using only their bare hands. The Greymon puffed a fireball into the vehicle's underside, causing its fuel tank to burst and the vehicle to catch on fire. The rioters jumped up and down and danced to cheer their destruction of AoA property.   
  
While the people of Amaterasu revolted against their AoA masters, the Faction lurked in the distance. With the AoA's own people rebelling against them, they intended to take advantage of this to put the final nail in the AoA's coffin. In Wire Forest, Takato's group was lounging around waiting for commands from the Faction's leadership. The change in plans had accelerated the Faction's plans to attack Amaterasu City greatly and the final battle would soon begin.   
  
Takato had finished a plate of spaghetti. "Mmm!" quipped Takato as he rubbed his belly.   
  
Rika came upon him in the mess hall. "Hi Takato!"   
  
"Oh, hi Rika!"   
  
"Umm listen, I want to talk to you about Jeri."   
  
"Yeah, Jeri's been very quiet lately..." remarked Takato. "She still hasn't got over about our rendezvous at the motel."   
  
"Yeah, I know," agreed Rika. "That's why I want to talk to you. Takato, do you love Jeri?"   
  
"Wha?" asked Takato, not even finishing his word.   
  
"Do you love Jeri?"   
  
"To be honest, I used to have a crush on her, but now I don't feel the same way. You've become very special to me, Rika."   
  
Rika smiled. "Wise choice, Takato. If you went for her, I would've sent one right to the noggin." Rika made a fist to emphasize her point.   
  
Takato chuckled meekly. "Yeah, I know, but I'm still worried about Jeri."   
  
"Jeri has to understand you were never her's to begin with. I honestly think she's only jealous because she doesn't have your attention anymore."   
  
"I see," admitted Takato.   
  
Takato's radio beeped with a message from Megadeath. "Tamers, are you there?   
  
"Yeah, we're here," replied Takato.   
  
Megadeath was pleased. "Good, begin the attack immediately. It looks like a major revolt has broken out in the city. Amaterasu City is in chaos and the AoA are swamped. When you attack, leave the rioters alone. Focus only on the AoA troops."   
  
"Okay, gotcha!" replied Takato. "Well Rika, it's time for us to go."   
  
As Takato got up to leave, Rika stopped him. "Wait, there's something I want to give you before you go."   
  
Rika promptly grabbed Takato and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The Red Tamer turned beet red from embarrassment. "Rika, I..."   
  
Rika smiled. "Think of that as a good luck kiss. Let's go."   
  
Takato's group gathered and began their drive westward with the other Faction fighters. The Tamers reached the city to find it consumed in paroxysms of violence. The AoA could not maintain control over the vengeful rioters. They continued to lay waste everywhere they went in the city, but now, help had come. The Faction was going to make the revolt so bad for the AoA that their base of power would crumble instantly.   
  
Unlike in the other battles, the AoA did not have any defences to stop the Faction's advance. They walked in through the proverbial front door without so much as a single soldier or Digimon attacking them. The AoA was too preoccupied with the revolt instead. The AoA's troops had been dispatched to quell individual mobs scattered around the city. Instead of attacking a large enemy force, the Tamers were to go around and disrupt the AoA's attempts to put down the revolt.   
  
Guilmon, Renamon, and Terriermon ascended to their Ultimate forms while Jeri's Palmon Digivolved to Togemon. The Tamers came upon a mob being accosted by soldiers. The human members chased the group away by firing their guns into the crowd while the Digimon did the same with their special powers. Takato immediately called for an attack on the police. The Tamers ducked into a nearby building while the Digimon charged directly into the fray.   
  
Esmeralda peeked out of a second story window and dropped one of the soldiers with her gun. She and the Tamers managed to drop about five more soldiers before they realized the direction they were being attacked from. The soldiers turned their attention away from the rioters to fire back on the Tamers. At that moment, the Tamers' Digimon reached the AoA line and began to decimate their ranks.   
  
Taomon pulled out her paintbrush and whacked the legs from under a pair of soldiers. She smeared paint onto the faces of a Devimon and the ape-like Etemon. The black paint glowed with positive energy which burned the two Digimon painfully. Rapidmon kicked the serpentine Seadramon in the side of the head then fired a missile into a group of the soldiers. The men went flying into the air and landed into piles scattered everywhere.   
  
War Growlmon didn't even need to exert much energy to fell the soldiers. His mere footsteps caused the ground to shake, causing some of the enemy soldiers fall onto their backs. A Knightmon ran in to attack with his sword only to be swatted away by War Growlmon's backhand. At this point, the AoA soldiers and Digimon knew they were out of their league and began to flee. With no one to stop them, the rioters chased them down and proceeded to beat those they had caught into the ground.   
  
The Tamers moved to the next confrontation between the people and the agents of the AoA. Amar started this battle by launching a flying kick into the back of a Kabuterimon's head. Once he landed, he flung a pair of fiery blasts which forced the AoA to scatter. Togemon's fists were like blurs as she pummelled a Wizardmon into oblivion. Once again, the crowd took advantage of the situation to mob the AoA and beat them down.   
  
When all seemed to be going well, something lashed War Growlmon in the side of the head by surprise! Rapidmon only managed to catch a brief glimpse of the object before it nailed him as well. It looked like a barbed whip of some kind. Taomon barely raised her barrier in time before the whip struck it and knocked her down. However, Taomon had seen what the weapon was; a thorny vine from some kind of plant extended to abnormal lengths.   
  
Amar and Togemon searched for the attacker and found a fairy Digimon, Rosemon, floating in the air above. She was a beautiful, curvaceous woman in a skin tight red suit who wore long black boots that reached her thighs. This comely blonde wore a green cape made from leaves that was tied to a pink jewel on her chest. On her head was a mitre that resembled the flowering part of a rose. Vines coiled around her arms with one held like a rapier and the other like a whip.   
  
_  
_

> **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Rosemon   
Attributes: Data, Mega Level, Nature Element   
  
This fairy Digimon is considered to be one of the most beautiful and feminine Digimon to ever exist. She's a flirty romantic who often has relationships with her Tamer if her Tamer is male or lesbian.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Flying   
  
Roses Rapier - She can use one of her vines like a fencer uses a foil. Rosemon is a master in fencing and sword fighting.   
  
Thorn Whip - Rosemon can use her other vine like a whip. If coiled around a single victim enough times, she can render him or her highly suggestible with a powerful aphrodisiac. _**

_  
  
_ Out of spite, Amar flung fireballs at her while Togemon sent a Needle Spray at her. The agile Rosemon dodged all the attacks with ease. In retaliation, she darted in and cut Togemon down with a slash of her Roses Rapier. Amar ran to Togemon's aid with his Fist of Asura attack, but Rosemon evaded and wrapped her Thorn Whip around his feet. The rose fairy dragged Amar through the air in a half-circle before slamming him down into ground and cracking the pavement.   
  
"War Growlmon, say something!" pleaded Takato to his fallen partner.   
  
As Rosemon prepared to apply the finishing touches to her foes, a swarm of phantoms grabbed her pinned her limbs down. "Hey, what are you doing? Let me go!" she cried.   
  
Takato searched for the phantoms' controller and found a second female Digimon in the sky. Though this second Digimon was beautiful as well, her beauty was of a darker nature. This Digimon was a gothic woman dressed in long black robes that revealed plenty of cleavage. A golden crown sat on top of her head full of long, lustrous raven-black hair. She used her right hand to direct the phantoms, which had a golden claw on it. Takato was thankful for her aid.   
  
_  
_

> **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Lilithmon   
Attributes: Virus, Mega Level, Dark Element   
  
This gothic Digimon is a sexual creature whose idea of fun is a romp between the sheets. Many male and lesbian Tamers want to have Lilithmon as partners for this reason.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Flying, elemental powers: darkness, ability inheritance   
  
Phantom Pain - Lilithmon can create a swarm of remotely controlled phantoms to attack her enemy. They can drain life from the victims and transfer it to their mistress and her allies.   
  
Nazar Nail - This is the name of the golden claw on her hand that leaves a trail of energy behind when slashed through the air. This weapon disintegrates whatever it cuts. _**

_  
  
_ Rosemon became engulfed in an aura of negative energy as the Phantom Pain drained her energy away. They kept her pinned down for a second Digimon to nail her with a powerful azure beam. Once the beam tore a hole through her body, the phantoms released Rosemon and she tumbled to the ground. The AoA fairy crumbled into data as Takato turned to face the Digimon that finished her off. The Digimon turned out to be an Ebemon standing on the street a few metres away.   
  
Ebemon was a mechanical Digimon constructed with state-of-the-art Digital World technology. His alien form was made of white Chrome Digizoid and had smooth organic curves. His head was an elongated, black metal oval. Takato could make out several wires that ran from his brain to the back of his body. He had a mass of cables for legs and four such cables for arms. His right cables were linked to a gun with a long, thin barrel while one of his left ones was linked to an alien ray gun. Ebemon was truly a Digimon from out of this world.   
  
_  
_

> **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================   
Name: Ebemon   
Attributes: Virus, Mega Level, Metal Element   
  
This cosmic Digimon invaded the Digital World with his alien technology. His brain, a powerful super computer, grants him immense psionic powers.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:   
Inorganic, psionic   
  
Planet Destroyer - Ebemon's long barrelled gun is a powerful beam cannon that is said to be able to annihilate a planet if fired into its core.   
  
Brain Blast - Ebemon can fire psionic waves through his gun which serve to disrupt his opponents' minds. This attack doesn't cause any physical harm to the victim directly. _**

_  
  
_ True GAIA's and Ryo's team came running to check up on the Tamers. Suzie ran up to check on Rapidmon. "You're not hurt, are you Rapidmon?" asked Suzie.   
  
"I'm fine, Suzie. I have a metal body. You can't hurt me that easily!" replied Rapidmon.   
  
"You guys are a real life saver. That Rosemon had us on the ropes," admitted Esmeralda.   
  
"Okay guys, let's finish this!" said True GAIA.   
  
"Yeah!" cheered all of the Tamers.   
  
With surging morale, the Tamers split up and swept the city disrupting AoA efforts to restore order. That day, the city of Amaterasu burned with the raging fires of revolution. With the capture of the city, the Faction, its allies, and the revolting people let out a hearty cheer of victory. They had crushed the AoA, albeit with a high toll in lives lost. Though they had crushed the enemy's heart, they did not crush its brain. Magami and his loyal followers went unaccounted for, hidden somewhere in the Server and continuing to plot in secrecy...   
  



	16. The Rise of Galacticmon

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_ Disclaimer:  
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit. **  
  
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Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy  
By: RB3 

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** Chapter 16: The Rise of Galacticmon **  
  
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_ **  
  
** The Tamers relished their victory over the AoA's forces. The Faction's new plan had worked better than anyone could imagine. The heart of the AoA, Amaterasu City Admin Centre, was in ruins. The shield that kept the Guard Tamers from entering the Server collapsed the moment the Faction annihilated its source, the Admin Centre. With their victory, the Tamers duties were complete.   
  
"Tamers, you've done an excellent job!" complimented Megadeath. "Your help was vital for our victory."   
  
"Hey, it was nothing," replied Ryo.   
  
"Oh typical," quipped Rika.   
  
"You guys are free to return home now. Shibumi helped us shut down the shield so you can leave whenever you want. All that is left to do is to mop up the AoA remnants and we can do that by ourselves," said Megadeath.   
  
"Okay guys, we're going home!" cheered Takato. The other Tamers cheered triumphantly.   
  
The Tamers returned to the Real World bearing the good news. They went to Yamaki and the rest of the Hypnos crew. Upon hearing of the Tamers' victory over the AoA, Calumon, who had been staying with Hypnos, was elated. The Tamers returned home and passed on the news to them as well. The families decided this would be a great time to hold a celebration to honour the homecoming of their children and the end of the war.   
  
Like the last feast, the dinner would be held in Rika's home as it was the largest and could accommodate the large number of guests. Each family brought something different to the table, though this time, they brought new items. The dinner was a bountiful one with a huge variety of foods, from fresh juicy fruit to a succulent, honey-glazed ham. Guilmon and Terriermon, the biggest chowhounds of the Digimon, couldn't wait to begin digging into the food.   
  
Before the adults ate, Yamaki stood up to initiate a toast. "Everybody, I want to dedicate a toast to our heroes the Tamers, who stopped an enemy invasion, and their Digimon, who kept them safe for the whole time."   
  
"Cheers!" said the adults in unison, as their glasses clinked.   
  
Impmon watched as Calumon snarfed down the ham and rice. "Careful creampuff, you're going to choke if you try to stuff your face!"   
  
"I can't help it!" admitted Calumon. "All this food is so yummy, I gotta have more!"   
  
The Tamers and their families feasted well into the night. Soon, Takato found himself lying in his bed staring at the ceiling. Guilmon was curled up on the floor soundly asleep. He thoughts turned to his new relationship with Rika, the once ice cold Digimon Queen. Takato had always admired Rika's strength. From visiting her home, Takato had learned that her father had left their family for reasons unknown. Takato wondered how Rika could live without his father by her side.   
  
It was something unfathomable to him since his parents had always been there for him. Despite that, Rika was able to persevere. She became a great Tamer in her own right, a valuable friend, and eventually a lover. He couldn't be happier about that, but Jeri's feelings still remained on his mind. Though he liked Jeri at first, that relationship never really went anywhere. Perhaps that was why he drifted away from the Orange Tamer...   
  
Meanwhile, the enemy made its move. Magami, who had secretly escaped the wrath of the Faction and Tamers, sped across the sea in a motorboat. With him were half a dozen of his most loyal followers and their marine Digimon. Their boat was filled with diving gear such as an oxygen tank and breathing tubes designed to fit the diminutive Vemmon. The boat stopped at an antenna jutting out of the middle of the water.   
  
"Sir, we've reached the remains of Gunslinger," reported the boat's driver.   
  
"Excellent," commented Magami. "Vemmon, it's your move now."   
  
Vemmon grinned. "Those Faction fags will be sorry they messed with us!"   
  
Vemmon put on the diving gear and dropped into the water. Using special night vision goggles to see, he swam down the murky depths and into Gunslinger's remains. The space station had long been flooded with salt water since its crash into the ocean. Some fish had already made a home for themselves in the submerged hallways. Vemmon swam his way to the main control room and clamped his claws into the defunct computer. The reptilian soldier could sense his essence flow into the metal remains of Gunslinger.   
  
The spaces station underwent a stark change as Vemmon used it to Digivolve to a more powerful form. The AoA soldiers could see Gunslinger glow from beneath the water as a pointed, metallic white dragon head emerged. It had a white, hi-tech chassis with a pair of cannons jutting from each shoulder. On its chest was a short barrel for the Ragnarok Cannon. It had a long, lash-like tail with barbs running down its length. This unbelievably huge Digimon was known as Galacticmon.   
  
_  
_ **_ ====================Digimon Analyzer====================  
Name: Galacticmon  
Attributes: Virus, Mega Level, Metal Element   
  
Despite the Faction's destruction of Gunslinger, the AoA was able to merge it with Vemmon to create Galacticmon. This humongous monstrosity has all of Gunslinger's abilities, but can move on its own.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:  
Flying, inorganic, accelerated healing, dimensional travel, elemental powers: all, retractable tail, vision powers   
  
Ragnarok Cannon - The AoA's super weapon has been converted into Galacticmon's special attack. It fires powerful energy beams designed for orbital bombardment. _** **  
  
** _  
_ Galacticmon roared as he emerged from the seas. "Okay boys, let's get in!" ordered Magami.   
  
Galacticmon transported Magami and his loyalists into his body before launching himself into the air. The mammoth dragon flew towards Amaterasu City to unleash his wrath upon the Faction. The people began to panic upon seeing this massive Digimon hovering over the city. Galacticmon wasted no time in raining death onto the city. He fired several shells onto Amaterasu which demolished many of the buildings. The Faction opened fire on the beast but none of their shots worked. Galacticmon retaliated by firing energy weapons.   
  
Not content with the bombardment, the space dragon charged up the Ragnarok Cannon and incinerated a nightclub. As he turned his body, the beam travelled into a school and vaporized it instantly. Galacticmon traced the weapon across the city until his energy ran out. Though people had begun to flee, he would not allow them that satisfaction. He fired machine guns into the crowd, randomly mowing down anyone he could hit. After reducing Amaterasu to rubble and killing its people, Galacticmon repeated his massacre on Xuanwu City of the North Sector.   
  
"Magami, I have destroyed the Faction just like you said. Let's go to the Real World now!" demanded Galacticmon.   
  
"Yeah," agreed Magami. "Even as Galacticmon, you still haven't reached your full potential."   
  
"I know," replied Galacticmon. "That's why I want to go to the Real World. Once I merge with the Earth, I will become Gaiamon and no one can stop me!" Galacticmon opened a portal into outer space in the Real World and flew in. _  
  
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* * *

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_ The next day the Tamers got a rude awakening on the morning news. "Takato, wake up! This is an emergency!" cried Yoshie Matsuki, Takato's mother.   
  
"Five more minutes, mom," replied Takato groggily.   
  
"There's something on the news you have to see, come on!"   
  
Takato got out of bed as his mother woke up Guilmon as well. The Red Tamer groggily made his way to the lounge where his father was watching the news. On the screen were scenes of violence happening in the United States. America's cities were being annihilated by the attacks of a gigantic Digimon. The image of the Digimon, Galacticmon, jarred Takato awake. He watched as cities were reduced to rubble in mere moments by Galacticmon's Ragnarok Cannon.   
  
The news footage continued with American fighter planes engaging the rampaging dragon at night. The ace pilots launched a series of missiles into Galacticmon's body with no effect. Galacticmon grew irritated by their presence and retaliated. His flak shells burst all over in the sky, knocking the planes out of the air one by one. Eventually, the Americans were forced to use more drastic measures in the form of thermonuclear weapons.   
  
Later on in the night, they launched a stealth bomber to deliver the warhead to its target. The news played night vision footage of the bomber making its approach. The footage changed to that of the missile homing onto Galacticmon. The video feed ended with the missile striking Galacticmon in the chest. The news switched to footage of the nuke creating a blinding light and its subsequent explosion. Galacticmon was unharmed by the nuke.   
  
The last footage Takato saw was that of Galacticmon landing on the surface of the planet. The space dragon plunged his barbed tail deep into the ground and waited. Almost immediately, the ground around him began to change. It became coated by an unknown metal which spread like a disease that consumed all in its path. Even at this moment, Galacticmon remained rooted in American soil, turning the very land into a metal wasteland. The Guard Tamers had tried to fight him, but were repulsed by Galacticmon's counter attack.   
  
"What is that thing?" asked Takato.   
  
As if on cue, the news answered him. "Reports from authorities state that this metallic creature is known as 'Galacticmon.' Our sources say this creature is a Digimon. He is attempting to assimilate the Earth in order to evolve to a more powerful form."   
  
Hypnos had called Takato and the other Tamers in for planning strategies to defeat Galacticmon. After Takato ate breakfast, his parents drove their son and Guilmon to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Takato and Guilmon made their way up in the elevator and into the meeting room. A few people reached the building early and were waiting. They included Yamaki, the Hypnos crew, Rika, her grandmother, Henry, Ryo, Kazu, Akira, and Esmeralda, with others still coming.   
  
With them was a Japanese military man from the JSDF that Takato didn't recognize. Yamaki introduced this man as General Shigeru Toshiro. In time, all the Tamers, new and old were assembled and Yamaki began the meeting by turning on a teleconference screen. A blond man wearing a cowboy hat appeared on the screen. The Monster Makers knew this man as one of their allies, Johnny Beckenstein. He was acting as the liaison between America's military, Japan's military, and the Tamers.   
  
"Good to see everyone is here," began Johnny. "Right now, Galacticmon is in the middle of the Nebraskan prairie. So far, all he's been doing is sitting there and turning the land into metal. In about six hour's time, he has coated half of the United States. At this rate, it won't be long before the whole planet is coated by metal."   
  
"We believe you Tamers are our best shot at defeating this menace," said Yamaki. "You were vital to our victory over the D-Reaper and we believe you'll be the ones who save us again."   
  
"I don't want to sound rude, but how are we going to beat that thing?" asked Kenta. "The Americans sent a nuclear bomb at him and it didn't even make a dent."   
  
"We believe that the power of the Digimon and your bond with them will bring us victory. You have succeeded where we couldn't."   
  
Shibumi turned to the Tamers. "We want you to fight it just like with the D-Reaper. I won't be joining you this time. Datamon and I are going to work behind the scenes to find a way to beat him."   
  
The group continued to discuss plans for their battle against Galacticmon. Akira had already moved the Kernel Zone into orbit around Earth. This act served to increase his powers as True GAIA and provide a refuge for the Tamers should they get into trouble. The Hypnos staff would move their operations to the Kernel Zone faster and easier correspondence. Once the meeting was over, the teams made their way to the Kernel Zone to begin operations.   
  
Once everyone was ready, True GAIA teleported all of the Tamers and Digimon save Jeri and Palmon to the Nebraskan prairie. The Digimon Digivolved or Biomerged to their highest level immediately. "Holy cow! Look at the size of that thing!" remarked Takato.   
  
Indeed, Galacticmon was probably the tallest Digimon Takato had ever seen. The only other Digimon that was even remotely this large was Venom Myotismon, but he was just a character on television. Even the largest members of their group, Mega Gargomon and Millenniummon Darkfryer were only the size of Galacticmon's head. The rest were no bigger than ants compared to the titan that Galacticmon was. The Tamers knew it was going to be a long, gruelling fight.   
  
Sakuyamon opened the attack with a Spirit Strike. The ghostly foxes bounced off the massive dragon man without making a single dent into his armour. Gallantmon and Mega Gargomon followed with a mighty Lightning Joust and Mega Barrage respectively. These massive attacks struck the enemy with a deafening boom and left a huge cloud of smoke. Once the smoke cleared, the two Megas realized they did little harm. In fact, their attack did more to draw Galacticmon's attention to them rather than any real damage.   
  
"You guys again? You may have defeated Destromon, but I'm another matter entirely!" said Galacticmon defiantly.   
  
At once, Galacticmon called upon his Digimon Online techniques to clobber his opponents. He took a deep breath and employed the Giga Fire technique to exhale fireballs at Sakuyamon. The priestess dodged the first two but the third clipped her in the chest and sent her crashing into the ground. The massive space dragon pointed his claws and a Lightning Bolt leapt out of their tips and shocked Mega Gargomon. Galacticmon did the same to Gallantmon, stopping the great knight right in his tracks.   
  
The others charged into the fray with Darkfryer unloading several volleys of Dimension Destroyer fire. Lillith flew in and materialized several ghosts which swarmed Galacticmon. Amar ripped a large stone and engulfed it in plasma before hurling it with all the strength he could muster. The space dragon took the massive combined attack with out some much as a single flinch. Galacticmon summoned a massive Snowstorm which chilled the three and forced them to break off their attack.   
  
As the Digimon recovered, the Tamers decided that they needed to change tactics. "It's no good," said Henry. "We're not getting anywhere by attacking him in waves. We have to attack at the same time!"   
  
"Right," agreed True GAIA. "Everyone, charge!"   
  
The squad regrouped and renewed their attack with greater ferocity than ever. Darkfryer blew a Heat Viper to soften up Galacticmon's armour then followed up with several Dimension Destroyer shots. Beelzemon materialized his Corona Blaster and fired a massive burst of energy as Mega Gargomon launched a massive volley of missiles. The attacks collided with their target in a massive, nuclear scale explosion. Galacticmon roared in pain as the others moved in to capitalize on their advantage.   
  
Lillith swarmed the space dragon with ghosts which began to drain his life like leeches. The others felt invigorated as Lillith distributed the stolen energy to her team. Galacticmon shelled the sky with flak to blow his foes out of the sky, but Sakuyamon raised a barrier which thwarted that move. Once the skies were clear, she removed her barrier and blew several cherry blossom petals. They stunned Galacticmon, allowing High Andromon to blast him forcefully with Atomic Ray.   
  
Justimon, Cherubimon, Marine Angemon, and Amar charged the massive dragon. Amar reached the back of Galacticmon's left leg and proceeded to pummel it with a flurry of megaton punches. Cherubimon began to repeatedly stab Galacticmon's tail with a Lightning Spear. Justimon generated an orange energy blade and joined in with a series of slashes. Marine Angemon simply applied his energy restoring water bubbles to keep up the strength of the others.   
  
"This thing's so hard," commented Justimon as he made a slash that failed to even dent Galacticmon's tail.   
  
Suddenly, Galacticmon withdrew his massive tail from the ground! It lunged at Justimon with immense speed and wrapped itself around his waist. Galacticmon promptly slammed the superhero into Cherubimon and then Marine Angemon. Amar landed a powerful flying kick which shook its victim momentarily. Galacticmon coiled his tail around Amar and tossed him into a heap with the other Digimon. The tail returned to its place in the ground once it was done.   
  
"I've think you've had enough fun for one day," quipped Galacticmon. "Time for you to die!"   
  
Galacticmon's chest cannon began to charge massive amounts of energy. "Everyone, get down!" cried True GAIA.   
  
The non-Biomerged Tamers and Esmeralda dove to the ground upon True GAIA's cry. A massive coherent beam of azure light burst out of the space dragon's chest. The Ragnarok Cannon's beam overtook Gallantmon with immense force. Galacticmon promptly made a swift turn, cutting all of the other Digimon down except Lillith and Sakuyamon. The sheer power of the beam broke the union of the Biomerged Digimon and reduced everyone into unconscious bodies sprawled on the ground.   
  
Sakuyamon and Lillith looked down to see that all their comrades had been flattened. Rika was terrified when she saw Takato and Guilmon in a pile on the right part of the trench punched into the ground by the beam. Darkfryer, Kazu, Guardromon, Henry, and Terriermon were next. At the very end of the trench was Impmon, who was lying with his face buried in the ground. Galacticmon's tail had already taken out the other members of their team.   
  
"Retreat! Retreat!" cried True GAIA as he desperately teleported everyone to the Kernel Zone. _  
  
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* * *

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_ The Tamers and their Digimon reappeared on the surface of the Kernel Zone. Several medics came in to check on the condition of those wounded. "How are they?" asked Kenta. "Will they be alright?"   
  
"Most of the injuries are not life threatening," replied one of the Guard Tamer medics. "They'll be fine after some rest."   
  
Once the Tamers' injuries were tended to, they returned back to Hypnos' operation centre to discuss a new plan of attack. A direct attack against Galacticmon proved to be ineffective. Galacticmon was too powerful for them defeat, especially with him having the Ragnarok Cannon as his main weapon. They needed another way of dealing with him. For an uncountable number of minutes, the Tamers argued amongst themselves about how to proceed.   
  
"We're getting nowhere at this rate..." quipped Curly.   
  
"Did anyone see some sort of weakness?" asked Henry.   
  
"You already asked that, Henry," replied Rika.   
  
"I couldn't see any weaknesses in his defence," stated Renamon.   
  
"...But every enemy has a weakness," noted Amar. "We just don't know what Galacticmon's is."   
  
Shibumi began to think. "Hmmm... I got it! We know that Galacticmon used to be Gunslinger before the AoA converted him, right?"   
  
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with our situation now?" asked Takato.   
  
"Hear me out," replied Shibumi. "If Galacticmon really is just Gunslinger remodelled, then he would have all of Gunslinger's features, namely its power core. I was thinking that if we can destroy this power core, we win!"   
  
"How will we do that though?" asked Darkfryer. "Galacticmon is huge and we don't know where his power core is. Plus, we'd need something really powerful if we're going to do that."   
  
"I know. I was thinking of something along the lines of a nuclear bomb." Shibumi turned to face Akira and Esmeralda. "Do the Guard Tamers have something powerful enough to do that?"   
  
"Yeah," replied Akira. "We have access to a stock of antimatter bombs. A bomb about the size of a briefcase is powerful enough to waste half of a city block."   
  
"Oh yeah, now we're talking!" exclaimed Shibumi.   
  
"How will we get the bomb to Galacticmon's power core?" asked Lopmon. "He's not going to let us in to do it. Even if he does, he'll have something inside to guard it."   
  
"I'll do it," announced Akira. "As True GAIA I can move fast enough to get the job done. Don't concern yourself about the bomb. Just worry about getting me in."   
  
"Just because Akira's going in alone doesn't mean we can sit back and do nothing," said Ryo. "Isn't there anything more we do to help him?"   
  
"Well, I suppose that if we were to keep Galacticmon busy, he can't devote as much time towards stopping Akira," observed Henry.   
  
"Yeah, and that's a good thing!" chimed in Akira.   
  
Terriermon sighed. "Our work's never done..."   
  
"Well, sounds like a plan to me," said Shibumi. "Alright guys, go out there and kick some AoA butt!"   
  
The Tamers thrust their fists triumphantly into the air. "YEAH!"   
  
The Tamers returned to the location of Galacticmon. After Takato and Guilmon Biomerged to Gallantmon, they channelled the power of their late friend, Grani, to go a step further. "Gallantmon, Mode Change to..."   
  
A bright crimson aura surrounded Gallantmon as great power filled his being. The energy began to encase his white greaves in crimson ones. The crimson armour continued to cover Gallantmon, continuing with his chest, arms, and finally the head. Ten wings of crimson energy extended from his back before transforming into the glowing white wings of a dove. A gleaming white sword materialized in his left hand while a double-bladed one appeared in the right. Gallantmon slashed his swords through the air to show his skill.   
  
"Crimson Mode!"   
  
As the Tamers and Digimon confronted him, Galacticmon let a sigh filled with ennui. "You guys again? Why don't you just give up?"   
  
Gallantmon Crimson Mode confronted the massive beast. "Never!" cried Guilmon.   
  
"You've hurt far too many people, Galacticmon! We can never let villain like you get away with this!" cried High Andromon in Guardromon's voice.   
  
"That's right! It's time for a showdown!" cried Sakuyamon in Rika's voice.   
  
Galacticmon let out a second ennui-filled sigh. "If you insist; fools always die young..."   
  
The Tamers Mega Digimon surrounded Galacticmon in preparation for their attack. Gallantmon made the first move by firing a mighty blast of energy at his enemy's head. Mega Gargomon unleashed a barrage of bullets as High Andromon split into two and began blasting with Atomic Rays. The attacks exploded with a huge cloud of smoke that enveloped both Galacticmon and his attackers. While the enemy was blinded and dazed, the others moved in.   
  
Amar threw a megaton punch which landed on Galacticmon's leg. Justimon followed with an overhead chop with the blade of his energy sword. Galacticmon flinched from having his leg bumped around and fell to one knee. He began to swat at the two Digimon, forcing them to scatter to safety. After Cherubimon and Gallantmon nailed him in the head a second time, Galacticmon let out a brief groan.   
  
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Sakuyamon and Lillith led True GAIA to the open mouth. In the avenging angel's hand was a seemingly ordinary metal briefcase. However, this briefcase was anything but normal. In it was a powerful antimatter bomb that could decimate an half of an entire city block in seconds. The briefcase was just there for easier transport. True GAIA prepared himself for the dangerous mission ahead of him.   
  
"Good luck," said Sakuyamon. "You're on your own from here on."   
  
True GAIA turned to Sakuyamon. "Don't worry, when I'm done, all that will remain of this guy will be a smoking crater!"   
  
"Please come back alive, darling," said Lillith.   
  
True GAIA smiled. "I will; count on it!" True GAIA flew into the dragon's open mouth and down his gullet.   
  
Sakuyamon and Lillith flew away from the dragon's massive head and regrouped with the others. "True GAIA just went in. It's all up to him now."   
  
"Good," replied Gallantmon. "As long as we're here, let's show this guy what real Tamers and Digimon can do!" _  
  
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* * *

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_ True GAIA found himself inside a strange world of wires and circuitry. It was hardly a surprise considering the nature of Galacticmon as a mechanical creature. Much of the decor came straight from the familiar hallways of the space station Gunslinger. After being turned into a Digimon, Gunslinger's locales had been chopped up and rearranged in an almost haphazard manner. True GAIA recognized his tunnel as being a hallway he had run through while advancing on the control room.   
  
The tunnel was linked to other hallways in Gunslinger to form one massive super tunnel; Galacticmon's gullet. He could see several doorways that were once positioned in the former hallways. Due to restructuring, they had been smashed and only led to dead ends. True GAIA continued his way down the passage, but couldn't keep a certain niggling detail out of his mind. Since he was something foreign to Galacticmon's body, he wondered why Galacticmon hadn't tried to dispose of him yet.   
  
He soon got that answer when he sensed danger coming from behind. A gun turret came out of an opening in the wall and opened fire. "Shit! I knew this was too easy!"   
  
More cannons came out of new openings in the wall and began to attack the angelic master of the Kernel Zone. True GAIA banked left, right, and every other direction imaginable as he flew backwards. He materialized his sword and began to absorb the shots into it. True GAIA continued to fly backwards down Galacticmon's oesophagus as he returned fire. He threw a pair of lighting balls which obliterated two of the cannons.   
  
True GAIA turned around and began to pick up speed. More cannons came out of the walls, this time from in front. The whole way had been filled with energy blasts flying from every direction imaginable and it was a struggle for True GAIA to avoid them all. One of the shots struck his arm and halted his advance. Out of annoyance, True GAIA fired massive numbers of lightning balls which wiped out nearly all of the cannons save for a few.   
  
With the destruction of the cannons, the number of stray shots decreased dramatically. True GAIA took advantage and sped the rest of the way down the dragon's gullet. He entered a round chamber with metal walls and a pit in its centre. Heaps and heaps of garbage were around the pit as well as other refuse. Some of the garbage consisted of smashed furniture and lose items that were found aboard Gunslinger before its crash. The rest were the remains of fish and the AoA soldiers that were unlucky enough to be caught in Gunslinger as it crashed.   
  
The whole room reeked of death and decay. True GAIA concluded that this was Galacticmon's stomach, where any items he consumed were ground down for use. True GAIA looked down from the edge of the pit to see a set of grinders at the bottom. They were sharp blades attached to a pair of rollers. They were spinning with such great rapidity that anything that passed between them was sure to be sliced into ribbons in short order. A set of metal cables came charging out of the pit at True GAIA!   
  
The avenging angel leapt away as one of them tried to snatch him up. He sliced the cable with his sword and the tip landed on the ground. It wiggled helplessly as sparks danced out of the severed wires within it. More cables came bursting out of the pit to attack, prompting him to slash his blade everywhere. The cables eventually overwhelmed him and began to drag him slowly but unerringly towards the pit.   
  



	17. Mission Accomplished

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_ Disclaimer:  
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit. **  
  
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Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy  
By: RB3 

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** Chapter 17: Mission Accomplished **  
  
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** The cables continued to drag True GAIA into the pit and towards the whirling blades. True GAIA focused and slashed the cable that kept his foot tied down. He got up just as more cables burst out of the pit to nab him. He diced up each of the metal wires until only segments remained on the ground, writhing like worms. He fired a beam of energy into the pit which blasted the rollers into pieces. The avenging angel proceeded deeper into Galacticmon's innards by flying into the hole.   
  
He travelled through the monolithic dragon's waste disposal tunnels and found himself in a large cylindrical room. At the centre was a massive column of made of metal and plastic. Surges of power travelled up and down the column, manifesting themselves as nimbuses of blue light. There were similar tubes running into this central column. The energy travelled through these transport tubes to furnish power for the rest of Galacticmon.   
  
"So this is your power core..." mumbled True GAIA.   
  
Suddenly, the metal of the room began to ooze off of the walls. It piled onto the ground and began to form into a Japanese man in his thirties. The man wore a khaki military uniform adorned with the emblem of an upside down red "V" with a circle in the middle. This stylized "A" was on a blue background, which meant only one thing; this was the emblem of the AoA. True GAIA knew this guy was an AoA member and recognized him from his status reports. He was Magami, the AoA's leader.   
  
"Hello True GAIA, are you surprised to see me?" asked Magami.   
  
"How did you get here?" asked True GAIA.   
  
"You see, Galacticmon is more than just Vemmon and Gunslinger combined... He is Vemmon, Gunslinger, and I merged together!"   
  
"Impossible!"   
  
"Impossible? Hardly!" retorted Magami. "You see, those Tamers that are fighting Galacticmon outside are the same as I. What do you call it...? Oh yes, Biomerging! Galacticmon and I have Biomerged to make the most powerful Digimon ever."   
  
"If you two are Biomerged, then how can you be here in person talking to me?" asked True GAIA.   
  
"Oh ho ho! That's the beauty it. I can physically separate myself from him anytime I want, but that's not all. As long as I am linked to Galacticmon, I have powers that a normal man can only dream of!" True GAIA looked at Magami's feet and saw what looked like a metal umbilical cord connecting his back to the ground. "Ah so you understand... Now, Avenger of Humanity, let's see how powerful you really are!"   
  
Magami rushed at True GAIA, turning his arms into silvery blades. The Avenger of Humanity parried the slashes until Magami blasted him into a wall with energy. Magami threw a spike of metal at True GAIA who dodged the projectile. The Avenger fired a wide arc of lightning which shocked the AoA leader and forced him to back off. The two rushed at each other and crossed swords. As they collided, sparks flew from the blades of Magami and True GAIA.   
  
"Oh come on! My grandmother can fight better than you!" insulted Magami.   
  
The two continued to exchange slashes and chops until their blades locked once again. True GAIA fired a negative energy eye beam which destroyed some of the flesh on Magami's face. He followed with a mighty energy blast which sent Magami into the wall. As the finisher for his combination moves, True GAIA sent a blast of flame which burnt off a large chunk from his body. The AoA leader's wounds quickly disappeared as his body regenerated.   
  
"Looks like we can both regenerate," commented True GAIA.   
  
Magami fired a blast of pressurized water which plastered True GAIA onto the wall. He followed that move with a blast of ice that froze the Avenger into a cocoon on the wall. True GAIA smashed his way out a few seconds later and fired a negative energy beam. The destructive beam tore a hole into Magami's shoulder and stunned him momentarily. After taking a gust of wind, it was Magami's turn to be plastered to the wall.   
  
True GAIA encased the AoA leader in ice to keep him pinned to the wall. This last attack left Magami's umbilical cord exposed to attack. True GAIA threw his sword at the cord to cut off Magami's lifeline to Galacticmon. The cord suddenly snapped and reattached itself to the wall behind Magami's back. The AoA leader shattered his icy prison and slowly descended to the ground. He was impressed with True GAIA's ingenuity.   
  
"Nice try!" complimented Magami. "...But you're going to have to do better than that."   
  
"I'm just getting warmed up," said True GAIA. _  
  
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* * *

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_ Outside, the battle between the Digimon and the monolithic Galacticmon was titanic. Each shot rang out through the air and devastated the land like a natural disaster. It seemed that neither side could get the upper hand over the other. Beelzemon Blast Mode aimed his Corona Blaster and released a massive burst of energy. The shot struck with megaton-range force that would have annihilated virtually anything. However, Galacticmon was in a class of his own, as he took the blast without flinching.   
  
Galacticmon returned fire with several bolts of golden energy. Beelzemon dodged the shots until one caught him in the chest. He fell from the sky and moments before crashing, he corrected himself and slid along the ground to a stop. That shot had hurt quite a bit and the demonic biker knew it could only be one thing; positive energy. Positive energy was the bane of all darkness-aligned and demonic Digimon like himself. Fortunately, the hit also knocked him out of the line of fire, giving him time to recover and rethink his approach.   
  
Mako, one of Beelzemon's Tamers, decided to pull out a card for Ai. "Digimodify! Speed activate!" called Ai.   
  
Beelzemon felt himself grow lighter and hence much faster. The demonic biker flew in a diagonal at Galacticmon which kept him out of the monolithic dragon's direct line of sight. Once in firing range, he ascended straight up until he was level with the monster's head. Ai slashed a power modification card which gave her Digimon a surge of power. Beelzemon took aim and unleashed a powerful Corona Blast shot right into the side of the dragon's head.   
  
"OHHHH!" groaned the dragon.   
  
To Galacticmon that shot felt like a hard punch to the side of his head. As the dragon reeled, it momentarily allowed Beelzemon's buddies a chance to capitalize. Mega Gargomon opened each of his weapon bays and unleashed a Mega Barrage. Countless missiles, bullets, and shells raced to Galacticmon and peppered his upper body with explosions. Clouds of thick smoke blanketed his chest and head. Mega Gargomon aimed his wrist-mounted Gatling guns and spewed a hail of lead into the smoke.   
  
"Lopmon we have to help Akiwa! Let's go!" urged Suzie.   
  
Cherubimon bounced into position and raised her hands into the air. Several dark clouds formed overhead and lightning arced across the sky. Deafening thunder ripped through the sky as the Storm of Judgement pelted Galacticmon ruthlessly. The lightning stunned Galacticmon again, allowing Beelzemon to move to his front. He drew an inverted pentagram in the air and proceeded to fire through it to amplify the force of his attacks. The increased power caused Galacticmon to stagger backwards.   
  
"Amar, let's go for his legs," called Justimon.   
  
"I'm one step ahead of you," responded Amar.   
  
The two Megas launched themselves into flying kicks with Amar hitting the left leg and Justimon the right. It knocked the dragon's legs into the air and the two Digimon fled as Galacticmon came crashing down behind them. "Yeah, we've got him down!" cheered Gallantmon Crimson Mode.   
  
Inside Galacticmon, Magami attempted to fire a beam at True GAIA. The room suddenly shifted, causing Magami to misfire. "Whoa!" commented True GAIA as he dodged the stray beam.   
  
Outside, Galacticmon was lying on his back. "Now that he's down, it will be even easier to attack him," observed Renamon.   
  
Sakuyamon waved her staff blowing several cherry blossom petals into the fallen dragon. The Amethyst Wind pitter-pattered against Galacticmon's armour annoyingly. The dragon pointed his claw at the priestess and fired a massive fireball which Sakuyamon dodged. Galacticmon fired a second which forced Sakuyamon to raise a barrier in self-defence. The dragon proceeded to get up but the others wouldn't allow that to happen.   
  
Cherubimon pelted the space dragon with lighting but Galacticmon fired an energy blast which knocked her down. Gallantmon delivered his Final Justice, firing a powerful beam with his double-bladed sword. The beam caused the dragon to flinch only briefly. Galacticmon retaliated with a blast of snowy arctic air which forced Gallantmon to back off. The dragon nailed the approaching High Andromon and Marine Angemon with missile strikes.   
  
At moment, Galacticmon regained a vertical position. "Clever move, but that won't be enough to stop me!"   
  
Galacticmon charged energy for his Ragnarok Cannon. "Take cover! He's going to shoot!" cried Darkfryer.   
  
The space dragon released his energy as a coherent beam of blue light. However, the Tamers were more prepared for the Ragnarok Cannon this time. Gallantmon immediately flew higher into the air to evade the beam. The other flyers like Mega Gargomon, Sakuyamon, and Lillith did the same. Cherubimon and those that couldn't fly immediately dove to the ground. Darkfryer simply teleported out of the way and wound up beside Gallantmon and Beelzemon.   
  
Eventually the beam died out. "Damn, we've not getting anywhere!" commented Darkfryer.   
  
"I might be able to cut through with my sword if someone could soften up a spot for me," said Takato.   
  
"That would be a nice plan, but Galacticmon keeps interfering and breaking up our attack," observed Darkfryer.   
  
"What we need is a few very powerful Digimon to team up!" said Beelzemon.   
  
Gallantmon sighed. "That's the problem. Other than you, I am the most evolved and most powerful Digimon there here."   
  
"Not quite," objected Darkfryer.   
  
"What do you mean?" asked Gallantmon   
  
"I can Digivolve further to Moon Millenniummon and Ziyd Millenniummon," replied Darkfryer.   
  
"You can? Why haven't you done so?" asked Gallantmon.   
  
"They are unstable forms, especially in the case of Ziyd Millenniummon. If I'm not in the Kernel Zone, I can only maintain them for a short time," replied Darkfryer.   
  
"Damn," cursed Beelzemon.   
  
"Actually, there is a way to get around that," noted Darkfryer. "If a Mega Digimon, any Mega Digimon, can DNA Digivolve with me, I can maintain my form for as long as I want,"   
  
"Hmmm... This might actually work," muttered Takato.   
  
The three Digimon watched the others fight Galacticmon. "All we need to decide is who will join with me," said Darkfryer. "You and Beelzemon are out of the question. How about Cherubimon?"   
  
Gallantmon waited until Galacticmon turned his attention to someone else. "Cherubimon!"   
  
The angelic rabbit came over. "Yeah?"   
  
"We've come up with a great plan to beat Galacticmon. We need you and Darkfryer to DNA Digivolve into a more powerful Digimon. The four of us are going to aim for the same spot on Galacticmon's body," informed Gallantmon.   
  
"Are you ready, Cherubimon?" asked Darkfryer.   
  
"Okay!" she replied.   
  
"...Then let's go." The two Digimon began to join their powers together. "Millenniummon..."   
  
"Cherubimon..."   
  
The two Digimon began to glow and their bodies turned to energy and entwined around each other. "DNA Digivolve to... Ziyd Millenniummon!"   
  
Where Cherubimon and Darkfryer once stood was a bizarre new Digimon. He had a spectral body that consisted of two dragons entwined together into a knot. The creature's right portion was a rich blue in colour, which could be mistaken for violet by the unobservant eye. The left portion was the opposite being red in colour. Three rings of data symbols spun around him, making look like an atom. This was Darkfryer's highest form; Ziyd Millenniummon.   
  
_  
_ **_ ----------------Digimon Analyzer----------------  
Name: Ziyd Millenniummon  
Attributes: Virus, Mega Level, Dark Element   
  
This bizarre atomic Digimon is feared for his control over the fabric of time and space. His data rings are there to keep his power from growing out of control. He has the powers of Cherubimon and Millenniummon as well as their previous forms.   
  
Special Abilities/Traits:  
Hovering, teleportation, dimensional travel, Guard Tamer Digimon traits, controls time/space, elemental powers: darkness   
  
Time Destroyer - Ziyd Millenniummon can fire violet energy beams which disrupt the fabric of time and space so much that it causes a devastating explosion.   
  
Chrono Paradox - Ziyd Millenniummon's mastery of time and space is such that he can create pocket dimensions. He can suck victims in and destroy the dimension to wipe them out. _** **  
  
** _  
_ "Okay guys, I'm ready when you are. Let's carry out the plan," said Darkfryer.   
  
Gallantmon watched as Galacticmon turned his attention onto Lillith. "Now!"   
  
Beelzemon and Darkfryer moved into range and unleashed a powerful blast of Corona Blast and Time Destroyer respectively. The resulting explosion created a loud boom and shook the earth. Gallantmon moved in under the cover of his comrade's fire. The shots of the Dark Digimon put a noticeable crack into Galacticmon's armour. Gallantmon proceeded to thrust his single-bladed sword into the crack. The space dragon screamed in pain and proceeded to throw the angelic knight off of his body. _  
  
_ _  
  
_

* * *

_  
  
_ _  
_ Meanwhile, True GAIA and Magami continued their battle within the power room of Galacticmon. The two warriors exchanged slashes with their blades, each parrying the other's attacks. True GAIA fired a heat beam at point blank range which Magami dodged by tilting his head. Magami charged at the Avenger of Humanity and pinned him to the wall. The AoA leader proceeded to choke True GAIA when a blade came bursting through the wall.   
  
It missed the two by several inches but caused Magami to have a momentary lapse of attention. True GAIA kicked the AoA leader in the face, forcing him to release his grip. True GAIA charged into his opponent and tackled him into the ground. Magami threw his opponent off of his body, and then fired an energy burst into his opponent's chest. As True GAIA hurtled upwards, Magami leapt up, snatched his opponent, and accelerated to drive him into the roof. Magami held on fast and prepared to repeat the move onto the ground.   
  
True GAIA recovered and began struggling to break free. However, Magami's grip was too tight and he was unwilling to let go. The Avenger watched as Magami dragged him to the ground on a collision course. True GAIA fired a beam of energy directly downwards which halted their descent. Magami released his grip and came at True GAIA with blades drawn. Instead of getting hit, True GAIA thrust out with his foot, landing a hard kick to Magami's abdomen.   
  
The AoA commander went flying towards the wall, right where Gallantmon Crimson Mode's sword protruded. The blade sliced through Magami's umbilical cord, severing it and his link to Galacticmon's power. The sword's blade cut through the flesh on his back and burst out of the other end through the stomach. Magami tried desperately to break free but with his lifeline cut, he was done for. His head slumped forward as the last of his life force fled his body.   
  
Now that Magami had been dealt with, True GAIA retrieved his briefcase. He opened his luggage, revealing the circuitry inside. There was a console within for the purpose of arming the bomb. The Avenger punched into the code and the timer displayed a twenty minute countdown. After entering another code, the minute indicator turned to nineteen as the second indicator decremented rapidly. True GAIA sealed the bomb and welded it to the power core with a heat ray.   
  
Back outside, Hypnos detected the signal emitted by the antimatter bomb. "Tamers, Akira has activated the bomb. You have less than twenty minutes to get out of there! Move it!" cried Yamaki.   
  
"Everyone, Akira has done it! Let's get out of here!" cried Gallantmon. The Tamers and their Digimon immediately fled the area as fast as they could.   
  
Inside, True GAIA had reached Galacticmon's waste disposal area in his flight from what would become ground zero of a massive explosion. "If I must die, then I won't go alone!" vowed Galacticmon over an unknown speaker.   
  
Several wires burst of the pit and began to pursue the Avenger of Humanity. He launched a flurry of slashes with turned the cables into a writhing metal salad. He fled into Galacticmon's lengthy oesophagus and continued on his way to freedom. Several cannons emerged from the walls and rained their energy at True GAIA. He materialized his sword and proceeded to absorb the energy into his blade as a defensive measure.   
  
True GAIA returned fire with energy shots of his own, destroying several of the guns. More guns appeared in front of him. Their shots struck his head and then his shoulder, knocking him back down a few metres. The Avenger of Humanity landed near a wall and dug his feet in to stop his descent. He became airborne once again and continued his beeline up the tunnel until he reached the dragon's jaw. Galacticmon deliberately kept his mouth closed.   
  
"I won't let you out! You will go to hell with me whether you want to or not!" swore Galacticmon.   
  
True GAIA charged into Galacticmon's tooth in an attempted to bust through. The tooth was strong as it was made from solid Chrome Digizoid. After several tries, True GAIA managed to break the tooth, causing Galacticmon to cup the area painfully. However, he continued to keep his mouth shut. True GAIA suddenly realized a good way to make Galacticmon open his mouth. He began to thrust his sword into the hole where the tooth was, exposing several wires underneath. The pain was so unbearable that Galacticmon gave in.   
  
"Owww!" he yelped. True GAIA took this opportunity to break out. "Oh, no you don't!"   
  
The space dragon proceeded to fire elemental blasts of all kinds to knock out True GAIA. A fireball exploded in the sky just metres away from his body. A sphere of ice exploded next, scattering its freezing air all over. A ball of lightning burst, arcing lightning all over the area. The bolts caused True GAIA to stagger, but he recovered and continued to fly. Inside the space dragon, the bomb's countdown neared completion. It displayed five seconds and counted down to four, three, two, and then one.   
  
At that moment, a blinding light filled the air and instantly subsided. In the throes of death, Galacticmon screamed before bursting into a violent explosion that produced a massive, mushroom-like plume of flame. A deafening boom ripped through the air as a vicious shockwave raced from ground zero. The wave of force overtook True GAIA and hurtled him far into the distance. Galacticmon's death was swift and brutal, leaving nothing other than a deep crater in the ground as a reminder of his existence. _  
  
_ _  
  
_

* * *

_  
  
_ _  
_ Akira opened his eyes to find himself staring at the lights on the roof. "Ow... Where am I?" he asked. He looked around and realized he was in a hospital somewhere on the Kernel Zone.   
  
"You're awake!" cheered Lillith as she licked Akira's face.   
  
Akira began to laugh. "Oh, Lillith cut it out!"   
  
Darkfryer brought the Tamers, Nassor, and Megadeath into the room. "Akiwa, you're up now!" said Suzie as she hugged the Guard Tamer.   
  
"Yeah, way to go!" cheered Ryo.   
  
"Man, that was an awesome explosion," said Kazu.   
  
"Yeah, I was kinda thinking that we put a tad too much power into that bomb..." remarked Akira.   
  
"We brought this for you," said Jeri as she put a pot of flowers beside Akira's hospital bed.   
  
Akira read the card. It had the names of everyone who took part in the war against the AoA, from the Tamers to Nassor and Megadeath of the Megadeath Faction. "Thanks Jeri, I really appreciate it. Well guys, looks like we've won the war. What are you are all going to do now?"   
  
"Well, Megadeath and I are going to rebuild Amaterasu and the other Servers," said Nassor. Megadeath nodded in agreement. "Galacticmon and the AoA did a number on them all. Once we're done, we'll take a nice long vacation."   
  
"What about you, Tamers?"   
  
"We'll go back to our old lives," replied Takato who then leaned in close. "Just between you and me, there's a special girl waiting for me."   
  
Akira watched as Takato batted a glance at Rika, who smiled. "Oh, I see... Good luck, lover boy!" whispered Akira.   
  
"What about you, Akira?" asked Henry.   
  
"Oh, I was thinking of getting some rest and relaxation after such a hard mission," replied Akira. "I was thinking of spending it with you guys. I may have met you as Commander Akira Violet, but while I'm on vacation, I'm just Akira Violet."   
  
"Yeah, that would be great," said Henry. "We can even show you around town."   
  
"Thanks I'd like that," said Akira. "...And thanks for your help, especially you, Takato and Guilmon."   
  
"Us?" asked Guilmon.   
  
"Yeah, as Gallantmon Crimson Mode, your sword helped me a lot. It really helped me make sure that Magami 'got the point.'"   
  
Akira chuckled. "Hmm?" asked the red dinosaur with a puzzled expression.   
  
"Oh, I'll tell you about it some day..."   
  
THE END   
  



End file.
